


The Feathered Dragon's Wish

by DaimeryanRei



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Angst, M/M, Melodrama, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:34:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9321695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaimeryanRei/pseuds/DaimeryanRei
Summary: Yuugi’s leading the life of his dreams: he’s going to college, he has an amazing boyfriend and wonderful friends. Things are about to change when he realizes his feelings for his best friend have turned into love; what does that say about his own relationship and how is he going to deal with it?





	1. Chapter 1

Title: The Feathered Dragon’s Wish  
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters  
Pairings: forthcoming Atemu x Yuugi x Jounouchi  
Rating: M for shounen ai  
Warnings: angst, melodrama and sap  
Summary: (end of series ‘fix-it’) Yuugi’s leading the life of his dreams: he’s going to college, he has an amazing boyfriend and wonderful friends. Things are about to change when he realizes his feelings for his best friend have turned into love; what does that say about his own relationship and how is he going to deal with it?  
Author's Notes: Feedback is a great thing.

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Yuugi lazily opened his eyes and smiled. He brought up his hand to touch Atemu’s face, as if he wanted to make sure the other really was there. Even after two years, ever since the Ceremonial Duel, it was hard to believe that yes, his Other Self was here with him, in this bed, in this life. He didn’t know what Atemu had said to the Gods, but he was granted his own body and the unique opportunity to live out his life, the way it was supposed to be. Yuugi was extremely grateful; he had loved his Other Self for so long and nobody was surprised at all that Atemu returned the feelings, if not even more passionate. Yuugi leaned into him and kissed him on the nose.

“I know you’re awake, mou hitori no boku,” he said, teasing him gently. “How come you have such a poker face when you play Duel Monsters, but you’re such a bad actor when you pretend to be asleep?”

Atemu shifted a little and opened his eyes as well. “I just enjoy these moments to ourselves, aibou.”

“True.” Yuugi scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Atemu. “We’ve been very busy as of late.”

Between college, work, family and friends there wasn’t much free time to be had, but Yuugi made sure to spend enough quality time with his boyfriend. He brushed his lips over Atemu’s, gently kissing him. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. You?”

“Wonderful.” Yuugi smiled against his skin, pressing another kiss wherever he could. Wednesday mornings were so relaxing, as his classes started in the afternoon and grandfather took the morning shift at the Game Shop. Sugoroku still liked and wanted to work at the store, and usually took a nap in the afternoon, when Atemu would take over. He yawned. “Want to shower together?”

“But of course.” Yuugi smiled again when Atemu returned the kisses passionately. How could life be so perfect? What had he done to deserve this? Every day was wonderful and amazing! He was surrounded by loved ones and friends all day and shared his life with someone he loved so profoundly. It was like living a fairytale. Yuugi enjoyed every moment, whether it was taking a shower with Atemu - and stealing kisses - or having breakfast or going to college and meet Jounouchi there, working on projects, or talking to his mother or grandfather, or watching a movie… everything was amazing and great! Yuugi had certainly blossomed after the Ceremonial Duel had ended. Now that the stress of possibly losing Atemu was gone and the former Pharaoh was a stable element in his life, loving him with every beat of his heart, Yuugi could fully concentrate on developing himself. He graduated Domino High and enrolled into college to study Game Design. It was a logical choice, even though he didn’t like studying that much in itself. 

Yuugi wasn’t fond of textbooks or spending hours in class; he rather focused on the projects, team efforts or solo, of designing and developing games. It had been a great and a pleasant surprise that Jounouchi enrolled into college as well, choosing the same study. Yuugi was very happy to have his best friend so close; Anzu had left for New York to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer, Otogi focused on his chain of Black Crown stores, Honda worked at a motorcycle shop and Bakura also attended college, but he had chosen an entirely different masters. It felt like the tight circle of friends had drifted apart a little, much to Yuugi’s dismay. It was inevitable of course, and it was a big consolation that they all kept in touch with each other quite intensely, through cell phone, e-mail and video messages. 

The morning flew by. “I have to go,” Yuugi checked his watch. “I’ll be home late tonight, remember?”

“Yes,” Atemu answered. “Give my regards to Jounouchi-kun, aibou.”

Yuugi nodded and kissed him on the cheek. “I will, mou hitori no boku. See you tonight!”

He ran downstairs and stopped by the store to say goodbye to his grandfather, but Sugoroku was caught up with a customer. Yuugi didn’t want to interrupt him and hurried outside. Today he was going to spend a lot of time with Jounouchi, as they had to present their mid-term project to the rest of the class. Yuugi’s backpack weighed a ton; his laptop was inside, along with text books and his bento. Atemu always stuffed his backpack to the brim with bottled water, snacks and sweets, assuming that Yuugi either had the time to eat it or had room enough in his stomach; but it was a silent agreement that most of the food was meant for Jounouchi. Yuugi would happily share, as he knew his best friend didn’t have that much money to spend on food. He wondered how Jounouchi had been able to pay for college in the first place as the workload was so heavy that he couldn’t hold a job to support himself, like he did back in High School. 

Yuugi didn’t like to broach the subject of money though, so if he could help Jounouchi out with food… he arrived at campus and greeted fellow students here and there. Most of them recognized Yuugi from the broadcasted Battle City tournament and sometimes referred to him as King of Games. Yuugi didn’t care much for the title and thought it belonged to Atemu anyway. He was the one still playing Duel Monsters actively, both online and in real life, and a lot of costumers came by at the Game Shop to talk to him and ask for strategic tips, and buy cards and booster packs in the process. The store had never flourished so well before, and the Mutou family was financially secure… which made it even harder to see Jounouchi still wearing old clothes, while Yuugi could buy himself a new wardrobe any time he wanted. Of course, any hints in that direction were shut down immediately by Jounouchi himself; he refused to take any money from anyone, no matter how well-intended.

“Good morning Yuugi,” said best friend in question grinned at him. “Ready for our presentation?”

“Ready!” Yuugi beamed at him in return. Jounouchi was saving up for a laptop, so they had to use the one belonging to Yuugi. He had offered to buy him one, but Jounouchi had declined, of course. It was too big of a gift and he couldn’t - and wouldn’t - accept it, not like that. He insisted on paying back if Yuugi were to buy him a laptop and Yuugi didn’t want Jounouchi to feel indebted to him and add to any strain. He realized that the other’s pride and honor were at stake, so he never pushed the issue. They were friends anyway, so what did it matter if they used his laptop all the time? He always felt so happy to see Jounouchi and he would share everything with him. Everything and anything. As they walked to class and Jounouchi was talking about a funny show on TV, Yuugi simply watched him, taking in his features. 

When had he started to think of Jounouchi as more than just his best friend? He had told him he loved him once before, during that awful duel, set up by a vengeful Malik Ishtar. Chained to an anchor, tied to a bomb and dueling with their lives on the line, Yuugi had reached out to a possessed Jounouchi by telling him he loved him, the only way he knew how to break that awful hold. It had worked and Jounouchi had been able to free himself. Even though neither one of them ever spoke of that duel again, Yuugi had spoken the truth. He truly loved Jounouchi, as a friend, a best friend… but was he falling in love with him or not? Something inside him was clashing, conflicted emotions and feelings, and Yuugi didn’t know what to do. To make the situation worse, he had the feeling that… it was actually mutual. Jounouchi would look at him in a particular way, or make sure they touched, especially while working on their project. 

They huddled together as they shared the laptop and Jounouchi’s fingers would wander close, touching Yuugi’s, and lingering just a few seconds too long… it was strange, but true. He could tell Jounouchi anything, of course. After what they had been through, nothing was secret between them - but there was a difference between love as friends and love as… more than friends. Yuugi didn’t know whether to bring this topic up in conversation. Certainly, if Jounouchi felt the same, he would mention something? 

They were the first to arrive in class and Yuugi booted up the laptop. He loaded the presentation. Jounouchi stared intently at the screen and they went through it one more time.

“We’re going to kill it,” he said, satisfied. “No one has ever come up with such a game design before! We have everything worked out to perfection: strategy, marketing, audience, the whole package!”

“It would be nice to get a high grade,” Yuugi said. They both did quite well, but it was so much hard work, and it was nice to be recognized and rewarded. He pulled out one of the bento boxes from his backpack and handed it to Jounouchi, whose eyes lit up.

“For me?”

“For you,” Yuugi grinned. Jounouchi opened it and held the chopsticks between his fingers, obviously in doubt what to pick first. He went for the teriyaki chicken meat balls and enjoyed the taste.

“This is really good!” he said. Yuugi knew that sooner or later, the moment would come when Jounouchi would express embarrassment about not bringing any bento himself. Sure enough, he emptied the bento in no time, but before he could say something, Yuugi raised his hand.

“It’s all right, Jounouchi-kun,” he said. “I’m glad I can help you out like this.”

“Yeah, I know…but it doesn’t feel right, you know? I feel like a leech.”

“You didn’t ask for this situation, Jounouchi-kun. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks, man.” He looked a bit embarrassed though, but they didn’t have time to discuss any further as their fellow students came in and it was time for the presentation.

\---------------------------------------------

Yuugi was glad to be home again. He was very excited; the sensei had awarded him and Jounouchi with a high grade, and their presentation had outclassed all of the others. However, after an entire afternoon of classes and presentations, he felt drained. Yuugi changed into his house slippers and went upstairs, calling for Atemu. He found him in the living room, relaxing after a day’s work at the Game Shop. Yuugi plopped next to him on the couch and nuzzled him.

“How did your presentation go, aibou?”

“We aced it!” Yuugi told him about his afternoon and his high grade. Atemu kissed him on the cheek.

“Congratulations! You both deserve it, after all that hard work. Did Jounouchi-kun eat the bento I prepared?”

“Yes, he emptied it to the last crumb. I’m a little worried about him, mou hitori no boku.”

“How come?”

“I really don’t mind that he relies on us for food, but it shouldn’t be, you know? He has such a hard life. I wish he didn’t have to worry and that he could buy everything he wanted, and not having a care in the world.”

“I know what you mean, but unfortunately life is not fair to everyone. As long as we can share with him, aibou, he will be all right.”

“You’re right.” Yuugi enjoyed this moment. His mother could call any second from the kitchen that dinner was ready, but he just wanted to get a quick nuzzle in…

“Aibou, I need to talk to you about something.”

“Yes, what is it?” Yuugi looked up at him. His voice hadn’t sounded distressed, so it wasn’t something bad…at least, he hoped it wasn’t bad.

“Kaiba dropped by the store today,” Atemu said.

“No way! Kaiba-kun?” Yuugi almost shouted. He hadn’t seen Kaiba in quite a while. “I’m sorry I missed him!”

“He had a proposition for me,” Atemu said, sounding a little hesitant. “He asked me to become an international promoter for Duel Monsters. He wants to launch the game in the United States, and he would like me to travel there to demonstrate the game and do promotional work as the King of Games.”

“You should totally take that offer!” Yuugi was ecstatic. “See something of the world! Play Duel Monsters to your heart’s content!”

Atemu wasn’t convinced. “I do not want to do that alone, aibou. I cannot imagine being at the other side of the world, without you!”

Yuugi kissed him passionately. “I’ll be quite lonely, yes,” he admitted, “but your happiness is more important than me. No, I don’t want to hear about it. This is a once in a lifetime chance! This is such a unique opportunity, you’d be crazy to pass up on it!”

“I have the feeling you _want_ me to leave for the United States,” Atemu said, a bit downtrodden. Yuugi wrapped his arms around him and held him tight.

“I want you to enjoy your second chance as much as possible, mou hitori no boku. Remember, you died very young as a Pharaoh. Now you’re here, you’re alive, it would be a waste to not enjoy it to the fullest! Maybe I can come along too, if Kaiba doesn’t plan it during college periods!”

“He needed to work out the details, but he wanted to know if I was interested,” Atemu said. “I told him that I wanted to talk to you first.”

“Excellent choice.” Yuugi kissed him on the cheek. “My Other Self’s going to the United States, and this time you’re going to enjoy it!”

\--------------------------------------

After dinner, the entire family watched a TV show together in the living room. Yuugi sat next to Atemu of course, cuddling and stealing kisses. Sugoroku sat in his favorite chair and Yuugi’s mother sat next to him in another chair, comfortable with an afghan on her lap. Suddenly, a loud ringtone startled everyone out of their attention on the show.

“Sorry, my bad,” Yuugi apologized. He retrieved his cell phone from his back pocket and checked the display. Jounouchi. “Moshi moshi?”

“Hey, Yuugi,” his friend’s voice came through clearly, “you finish up tomorrow around three, right?” They weren’t in all the same classes, as Yuugi moved more towards developing and design and Jounouchi towards programming. 

“Yes, I’m pretty much done by then,” he answered.

“Would you mind meeting up at the cafeteria? We’ll go over to my place, then.”

“Sure, no problem. See you tomorrow!” He ended the phone call, slightly confused. Jounouchi never invited anyone over to his apartment, too ashamed of his poor living conditions. Why would he insist on bringing him over? He put the phone back where it belonged and cuddled up to Atemu again.

“So, you are going to be home late tomorrow again?”

“It’s a bit hectic at the moment, yes,” Yuugi said. “I have to study for the upcoming mid-term tests too.”

“But at least you are at home when you are studying.”

“Is that a pout, Pharaoh?”

“No, it is not,” Atemu denied. A slightly dangerous frown appeared on his face. “But if you were to hang out this much with someone else but Jounouchi-kun, I would have a word with that other person.”

“Everything is all right,” Yuugi reassured him. But was it, really?

\---------------------------------------

Yuugi waited patiently at the cafeteria, greeting his fellow students. He checked his watch; it was just after three. Maybe he could get a snack from his backpack, the lecture had been going on and on…

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yuugi!” Jounouchi walked up to him.

“Oh, don’t worry, I wasn’t here for long.” 

“All right, let’s go.” Jounouchi slung his own backpack over his shoulder and they left the large building. On their way to his apartment building, they discussed neutral topics: classes, the weather, movies, music. Yuugi figured that Jounouchi would bring up whatever what was bothering or important to him, soon enough. As they entered the apartment building, the stench of urine and vomit hit him right in the face and he scrunched up his nose. Jounouchi apologized.  
“We better not take the elevator, unless you want to die a quick death. I expect the cables to   
snap anytime soon.”

Yuugi shivered and hurried up the stairs after Jounouchi. He ignored the graffiti on the walls, the horrendous stench and the garbage and debris everywhere. Jounouchi pulled out his keys and opened the door. He allowed Yuugi to walk in first. It was a very small apartment and Yuugi felt a little ashamed. Compared to where he lived, this apartment was a mere broom closet. 

“Your father isn’t here, Jounouchi-kun?” he asked.

“He goes ‘out’ more often, lately,” Jounouchi said, putting his backpack on the table. He went to the extremely small kitchen area to prepare tea. “That is, going out somewhere to drink. I’m glad he takes off with his ‘friends’. Sometimes he calls me to pick him up at a bar or a café, but I never respond. He always finds his way back home anyway, and I don’t care. And he knows I don’t care.”

“It must be really stressful. No wonder you make such long days at college.”

“Yeah, most people don’t see me for a bookworm, but the library is a warm and comfy place and there’s no better place for me to go to when I want to study,” Jounouchi said. “And I catch some sleep there as well.” The water cooker was done and he turned it off, pouring the hot water into the cups. “What kind of tea would you like?”

“I’m fine with anything,” Yuugi said. Jounouchi choose a plain green tea and while the tea was steeping, they settled at the kitchen counter. The usually so talkative Jounouchi waited silently until the tea was ready and he removed the teabag. Simultaneously, they raised their cups to take a sip. Yuugi didn’t speak either. It was obvious that his friend was struggling to find the right words, but as he had no idea what was on Jounouchi’s mind, he didn’t know how to give him a start. 

“Yuugi, lately…” he said and then shook his head to start anew. “Yuugi, we’ve been through quite a lot, and you were always there to have my back. Thanks to you, I made it out of the world of gangs and turned into a semi-decent guy. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“Jounouchi-kun, you have to give yourself more credit,” Yuugi said. “It wasn’t only because of me, it was you who had the strength and determination to free yourself from the gang. You had the courage to make the choice.”

“Yes, but without you I wouldn’t have made that choice at all,” Jounouchi insisted. “You helped me to become a true duelist and you stood by me through everything that happened during the tournaments and thereafter.”

“I can say the same thing about you,” Yuugi gave back. “You saved my life more than once, Jounouchi-kun. Remember that burning warehouse..?”

“Yes, I remember.” He stared into his teacup. “Yuugi, I just… I just don’t know how to say this, so I’m going to say it as it comes up in my mind. I’m not good with words.”

“You can tell me anything you want to, Jounouchi-kun.”

“I love you,” Jounouchi blurted out.

“I love you too,” Yuugi immediately retorted.

Jounouchi showed him a smile. “I love you more than just a friend, Yuugi. Ever since we worked together so intensely on our presentation, it confirmed to me that I love being with you, and not as just a friend. Everything about you makes me so damn happy, and I just want to be with you all the time.”

“Jounouchi-kun…” 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That was probably not something you wanted to hear. I feel like a moron for dumping it onto you like this. I wanted you to know, above all. I just couldn’t keep silent any more. I should’ve kept my mouth shut, though… I’m so afraid it’s going to affect our friendship. I’ve gotten it off of my chest now, but you’re troubled by it instead.”

“No, I’m not,” Yuugi said. “Because I love you too, Jounouchi-kun. It’s something I’ve been struggling myself with as of late... it’s weird and confusing, and I… couldn’t understand what was going on. Now I know that it’s more than ‘just friends’.”

“What do you mean?” Jounouchi asked. “Are you… you’re really serious, aren’t you?”

“I’ve never lied to you before,” Yuugi said. “Yes, I’m really serious, Jounouchi-kun. I noticed that I started seeing you differently, that I wasn’t looking forward to see you but that I was longing to see you everyday. It’s still very confusing though, because of... the person who waits for me at home.”

“Atemu,” Jounouchi said. 

“My very own Pharaoh. How could anyone else but him be such a great part of my life? If there’s anyone who could ever match up to him, to be his equal, then it would be you, Jounouchi-kun.”

He slowly nodded. “I have another confession to make, Yuugi. The love I feel for you, also extends to him.”

“You love Atemu as well?”

“I do. He’s a wonderful friend and an amazing person… he’s been a part of you and now that he’s on his own, I just… I can’t put it into words. We’ve shared so much, the three of us. We’ve been through adventures and hardships, we’ve seen ups and downs, we laughed and we cried. It’s so obvious that you two are a unity and that there’s nothing, or no one, that can come between you. Which is, of course, the entire difficulty of the situation in a nutshell.”

Yuugi forgot about his tea. “What if he would love you too, Jounouchi-kun?”

“That would be heaven,” Jounouchi said. “But I don’t think that’ll ever be possible, Yuugi. He’s totally devoted to you, and I don’t think he even considers the possibility that there could be anyone else feeling the same. I don’t want to come between the two of you. I don’t want to ruin anything between us. I’m very content to have his friendship… I’d feel extremely happy if I were to have his love.”

Yuugi moved his hand, reaching for Jounouchi’s and taking it into his. Jounouchi took a sharp breath; he hadn’t expected Yuugi to be this forward. He didn’t say anything though, and they sat like that for a couple of minutes. 

“What should we do?” Jounouchi asked. He averted his eyes. “I didn’t want to burden you with this, I really didn’t. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“No, Jounouchi-kun.” Yuugi didn’t look him in the eyes either. He hadn’t expected this, so much was true; and his initial happiness that Jounouchi reciprocated his feelings was muted down by the thought of his beloved Pharaoh. Atemu would never accept anyone else in Yuugi’s -or his- life like this. Jounouchi was right; Atemu was totally devoted to him and would reject anyone even proclaiming to feel love for him, Yuugi. His heart was breaking. He was convinced he had more than enough love for the two most important people in his life, but Atemu wasn’t just his lover, he was the other half of his soul… “I’m very glad that you told me. I… really don’t know what to say or to do, however. It’s not like we can act upon it. I can’t tell him like this, he wouldn’t understand. Jounouchi-kun…”

“He means more than the world to you.” Jounouchi squeezed Yuugi’s hand. “I would never expect that to change.”

Yuugi tried to smile. He didn’t doubt Jounouchi’s honesty. He wished the three of them could be happy together, but he didn’t know how to make it work. “I would never do anything to hurt him.”

“I know, and I would be offended if I did. I love the both of you so much. Don’t worry about me. I’ll get over this.”

“We… can try to gauge his reaction,” Yuugi said, hesitantly. 

“I’m not suggesting we should immediately launch into a threesome,” Jounouchi said, attempting to alleviate the slight tension. It worked; Yuugi chuckled. “I could spend a weekend at your place?” 

“That would be nice,” he said, “your company is always appreciated.” 

The tea had turned stone cold and Jounouchi threw it out. He turned on the water cooker again, his movements slow as if he was stalling for time.

“What’s this going to change between us, Yuugi?” he finally asked, a worried undertone in his voice. 

“As far as I’m concerned, nothing.” Yuugi spoke with more confidence than he actually felt. “I know this isn’t going to be easy, Jounouchi-kun. Rest assured of my love for you… and maybe the future will bring us more.”

“Then I’ll keep my hopes for the future,” Jounouchi said.

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	2. Chapter 2

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On his way home, Yuugi had a lot to think about. He felt joyous and happy, knowing that Jounouchi reciprocated his feelings, but his heart was heavy with worries and sadness. He wanted to cry. This love, so pure, so wanted and so warm… and there was no way he could enjoy it. What was he supposed to do? He wanted to be with Jounouchi just the way he was with Atemu. To feel his arms around him, to share his life with him… how could that ever be possible? How could he make it possible? He had to talk to Atemu. It wasn’t fair to keep him in the dark.

Yuugi would never do something behind his back, that was simply out of the question - but now that his and Jounouchi’s feelings were ‘in the open’, he had to do something about it, and hiding it from his partner wasn’t an option. Atemu had the right to know. A bit overwhelmed, Yuugi arrived home and he went upstairs. It was almost closing time and Atemu was at the store, teaching basic dueling skills to a couple of school kids. Yuugi didn’t want to disturb him and walked into the living room to greet his grandfather, sitting comfortably in his chair with a newspaper in his hands.

“Yuugi, good afternoon,” he said. “You’re very late today, aren’t you?”

“I went home with Jounouchi-kun to talk about something.”

“Is everything okay?” Sugoroku asked, alarmed by the sullen tone in his voice.

“I have a massive headache, jii-chan,” Yuugi said, which wasn’t besides the truth. 

“Well, lie down until dinner’s ready,” his grandfather suggested. Yuugi nodded and continued his way upstairs. In his bedroom, he could let his tears flow freely. What had he gotten himself into? Wasn’t Atemu enough for him? How could he even have these feelings for someone else, best friend or not, when he had the other half of his soul right _here_ , loving and caring for him unconditionally? He thought he would feel a little better now that he and Jounouchi had spoken about their feelings to each other, but a giant amount of guilt and insecurity was weighing him down. 

Yuugi rolled into his bed and pulled the covers over him. His mother was like clockwork when it came to dinner, so he had little under an hour. Yuugi closed his eyes and fell asleep quite quickly, dreaming nonsensically and restlessly. A slight pressure to his face, gentle and soft, recalled him from his sleep and slowly it started to dawn to him that someone was touching him. He opened his eyes and to no surprise, Atemu sat on the bed beside him, brushing away some wayward strands and tucking them behind his ear.

“Aibou, jii-chan told me that you had a headache,” he said, keeping his voice low. “How are you feeling?”

Yuugi had no answer ready, but he shot upright and took Atemu in a death grip, wrapping his arms firmly around him and pressing him so close, that he squeezed all of the air out of him. Atemu returned the gesture nonetheless, slightly taken aback by the ferocity of Yuugi’s tight embrace, and his voice was notably higher as he tried to draw breath. “Aibou?” 

Yuugi hugged him even closer, taking in everything: Atemu’s scent, his voice, his body, his warmth… he fisted his hands in Atemu’s shirt and put his head on his shoulder. As expected, Atemu sank his hand into his hair and started to pet him. “What is wrong?”

“Just this killing headache,” Yuugi said, still not lying; church bells resonated inside his head and he groaned. He barely had a headache ever before.

“Is there something I can do?” Atemu moved up his other arm, his hand stroking Yuugi’s back.   
“You work so hard, aibou. All these presentations and projects, all those tests…”

“Says the one who puts in sixty hours a week at the Game Shop,” Yuugi mumbled in return.

“That is different,” Atemu said. “It is my job to support our family.”

“You’re always so supportive,” Yuugi said. He shivered lightly. Nothing could shake Atemu’s faith in him. “Without you, I wouldn’t have made it this far.” He shivered once more, realizing how he was repeating Jounouchi’s words back to him. The resemblance was uncanny. 

“Nonsense.” Atemu pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “You have always been much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Even without me, you would have gone to college and made your future bright on your own.”

Yuugi lessened his grip just a little, giving him more room to breathe. Atemu didn’t release his embrace though, still holding him close. “Rotten headache,” Yuugi muttered. 

“I wish I could do something to take it away, aibou. How about a massage?”

“Mou hitori no boku…” Yuugi realized how much he was longing for his touch, as if he needed to be reassures that everything was all right between them, even though Atemu didn’t know anything about his inner turmoil. Atemu took it as a confirmation so he placed his hands on Yuugi’s neck, gently massaging. Yuugi leaned against him, surrendering to the calming movements, the touch of Atemu’s long, slender fingers on his skin. The massage didn’t relieve his headache immediately, but it worked out a couple of knots between his shoulders and at the base of his neck. The serenity of the moment was interrupted by his mother, calling that dinner was ready.

“Do you want me to bring your dinner upstairs, aibou?” Atemu asked.

“No, no, I’m going to the kitchen with you,” Yuugi said hurriedly. His mother would fuss over him greatly and he couldn’t deal with that, right now. Atemu’s loving care was almost too much to bear, and it confused and angered him. He had to figure out these feelings and emotions soon!

\----------------------------------

The next day, Yuugi missed Jounouchi at class. It worried him; Jounouchi had never missed one day of classes before. He sent him a text message and got a little anxious when he didn’t receive an immediate reaction. Yuugi checked his phone religiously between classes and decided that if Jounouchi hadn’t responded in an hour, he would go over to his house, his alcoholic father be damned. Right before his last class started, a beep from his phone announced a text message, and Yuugi quickly read it. _I’ll call you later today_. Well, that was a relief, somehow… at least Jounouchi wasn’t involved in an accident and he hadn’t decided that he never wanted to talk to him again… still anxiously, Yuugi went to class and he was glad when the lecture was over, as his concentration was totally shot. When on his way home, Jounouchi called.

“Jounouchi-kun!” he all but screamed into the phone. “Where have you been?”

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I’m in big trouble, Yuugi.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I received a letter this morning that we’re all going to be evicted,” he said, voice grave.   
“City Hall has acquired the plot and instead of fixing up the place, they want to tear it down and build a new apartment complex. You’ve seen it here, Yuugi, you know how dilapidated it is. We have to leave as soon as possible, so the city can start with the demolition. I’ve seen the plans; I’m never going to be able to afford an apartment in the new building.”

“That’s something for later,” Yuugi said. “For now, it’s more important for you to have a place to stay.” He didn’t have to think about it for one second. “You can stay with us!” 

“Are you sure? You know… after what we talked about yesterday…and besides, your grandfather and your mother…”

“I’ll check with everyone,” Yuugi said. He was sure that no one would object to helping out his friend in need. “I’ll call you back, all right?”

“Yes, thank you. It’s all so sudden; I have to get out by the weekend. If they had given us some more time…”

“I’m sorry to hear all of this,” Yuugi said, thinking about all the other renters who were in the same, dire situation. Where would they all go to? “I’ll call you back as soon as I can, Jounouchi-kun.”

\--------------------------------------

At home, Yuugi asked his mother and grandfather and without hesitation, they agreed to have Jounouchi over to live with them. More so, Yuugi’s mother immediately went to clean and prepare the guest room, shaking her head that the ‘poor boy couldn’t be out on the streets’. That left only Atemu. Yuugi walked into the store, using the door that separated the Game Shop from the living quarters. No customer was present and Atemu rummaged around in a box with loose Duel Monsters cards for sale, sorting them alphabetically.

“Mou hitoro no boku, I’m home,” Yuugi said.

“Aibou! I totally forgot to ask you this morning, do you still have a headache?”

“No, your massage worked miracles; I’m fine.”

With no one around but them, Atemu indulged him with a kiss. Yuugi happily answered, his heart as always filling with so much love, now more than ever if that was even possible.

“I am glad to hear that. I do not like to see you in pain. Fortunately, it is almost weekend, so you can kick back and relax.”

“Speaking of the weekend…” Yuugi told him about Jounouchi’s situation.

“Of course he can stay with us,” Atemu agreed.

“I knew you’d say that,” Yuugi said, overwhelmed by a sensation of giant relief. “I’ll call him and tell him he can come over right away!” He retrieved the cell phone from his pocket and pressed the speed dial button.

“Moshi moshi?”

“Jounouchi-kun, pack your bags! You’re going to stay here.”

“Really? Awesome! Thank you so much!” Jounouchi was just as relieved, but he sobered up quickly.   
“It’s only this weekend, you know? I mean, I’ll try to find a place to live as soon as possible…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yuugi said, feeling excited and scared at the same time. He ignored the contradicting knot of emotions turning his stomach upside down. “If you hurry, you’ll be in time for dinner!” 

Jounouchi snickered. He only had one pair of hands. “See you soon,” he said and they severed the connection. Not a moment later, Yuugi’s mother called out for dinner and he and Atemu went upstairs, to enjoy a delicious meal.

He arrived an hour later, carrying a ratty suitcase and a stuffed backpack. Yuugi took the suitcase from him. Jounouchi avoided looking at him, creating an awkward moment. Yuugi was about to say something, when Atemu came downstairs.

“Jounouchi-kun!” He greeted him. “So good to see you.”

“Atemu,” Jounouchi said and Yuugi stole a glance at him - he could see the look in his friend’s eyes, lighting up completely when seeing the former Pharaoh. “Thank you so much for having me over! Of course, I’ll pay rent…”

“No, you won’t,” Yuugi cut him off. “We don’t charge people here.”

“I’m not a moocher,” Jounouchi said stubbornly. 

“Nobody said you are,” Yuugi gave back. “Our house, our rules: no guest has to pay to stay in this house. Stop worrying, Jounouchi-kun. All you have to do, is to help out in the household.”

“I’ll clean whatever you want,” Jounouchi said. Now he looked at Yuugi, who smiled at him. However, he was feeling the same tension. After their mutual confession, things had changed… and probably were about to change even more. Atemu didn’t notice, he was simply happy to see his best friend. 

“Come upstairs,” he said, “I will show you to the guestroom.” Of course Jounouchi knew his way around the house, but he followed Atemu nonetheless and Yuugi came up the rear. Jounouchi greeted Yuugi’s mother and grandfather in passing, who also expressed their joy to see him. The guest room was at the end of the hallway, a modest room containing a futon, a cupboard and a small desk with a chair. 

“I’m sorry it’s a little bit sparse, Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi apologized.

“Are you kidding? This room is nicer than my entire apartment!” Jounouchi put his backpack down, next to the suitcase on the floor. “Than my previous entire apartment. What a disaster! I knew the building wasn’t up to par, but to be actually evicted…”

“What about your father, Jounouchi-kun?” Atemu asked. 

“We got into a big fight.” He scowled. “He demanded that I found another place, move his stuff and pay for everything to boot… I said I couldn’t find an affordable place on such short notice, and that he should stay with friends in the meantime. When he noticed me packing, he started yelling and screaming and once he hurled bottles at me, I just picked up and left.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” Atemu said. “I should not have asked.”

“No, no problem.” 

Yuugi wondered if Atemu noticed the different look in Jounouchi’s eyes. The different way he looked at Atemu, it was so profound and honest. He truly loved the both of them, but Yuugi had never doubted Jounouchi’s words. The big problem was that Atemu didn’t notice, he wouldn’t notice as he was quite dense in that area. His love was for Yuugi, period. 

“Did you have dinner already? Would you like something to eat?” Yuugi asked, a little too lightly. 

“I didn’t have any time to eat,” Jounouchi said, embarrassed. 

“We have plenty of leftovers. Let’s go to the kitchen and get some food into you.” 

Yuugi’s mother didn’t mind reheating some of the food and after Jounouchi was provided with a big bowl of _gyudon_ , everyone moved to the living room. It was a very nice, relaxed evening. Only Yuugi and Jounouchi seemed to feel the slight tension; Yuugi caught Jounouchi looking at him every now and then as if he wanted to check if everything was still all right between them. He also saw the longing in his eyes, when they darted over to Atemu, sitting next to Yuugi and touching him, putting his hand on his or draping his arm around him as they watched TV together. 

Yuugi’s heart ached, as he wanted nothing but to share this with Jounouchi. To hold both his hand and Atemu’s, and to share each other’s love and care… he tried to focus on the movie, but the main plot escaped him and he got confused by the multitude of plotlines going nowhere. After the movie was over, it was time to go to bed. As always when Yuugi went upstairs, Atemu went with him, no matter how often Yuugi told him that he didn’t need to go to bed that early with him. He appreciated it of course, but if Atemu wanted to watch more TV or enjoy the rest of the evening to himself, he was okay with that. This evening however, he was quite happy that Atemu went with him and as they undressed and prepared for bed, his eyes never left him. 

“It was busy at the Game Shop, right?” Yuugi asked, always glad to hear when the store was doing well.

“Yes, and before I leave for the United States, many customers wanted to get strategy tips from me.”

Yuugi nodded, while his heart took a small dip. Thanks to his enthusiasm, Atemu had warmed up to the idea of traveling and had accepted Kaiba’s offer. His trip was coming up soon and Yuugi was starting to dread it. Not because of Jounouchi and his confession, but because of Atemu being away from him, at the other end of the world... unfortunately, the trip was planned in the middle of the college year, so Yuugi couldn’t accompany him. He’d be gone for three weeks, and Kaiba would join him halfway for more promotional activities. Yuugi knew that Atemu was anxious, yet looking forward to his trip. As he had vividly encouraged Atemu to take this opportunity, it would be hypocritical to ask him not to go after all. Without another word, Yuugi closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around him. Atemu enjoyed the affection. 

“Aibou…”

“I’m going to miss you so much, mou hitori no boku.”

“I’m going to miss you too. It is just for a couple of weeks…”

“Three weeks! It’s almost a month,” Yuugi pouted. “And didn’t Kaiba-kun mention something about staying longer, to play more tournaments?”

“We will see about that.” Atemu sounded confident and calm, but unbeknownst, he didn’t manage to calm Yuugi down. Instead, he hugged him even closer. “I am glad though, that Jounouchi-kun is here.”

“How come?” Yuugi asked, strangely confused and hopeful at the same time.

“That way, someone is with you,” Atemu said and nuzzled Yuugi’s neck. “I do not like seeing you alone, aibou.”

“Kaa-san and jii-chan are here as well,” Yuugi protested half-heartedly.

“Yes, but they retreat fairly early for the night and I do not like the thought of you spending hours by your lonesome self,” Atemu insisted. “With Jounouchi-kun around, you will always have company and do things together.”

“You always think of others.” Yuugi pressed a kiss to Atemu’s head. “I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will be.” Atemu broke up the embrace to get into bed, patting invitingly on the mattress. Yuugi followed his example and pulled the covers over him. He wasn’t so sure if he was going to be fine. He wasn’t so sure if everything was going to be fine.

\-----------------------------------------

After a couple of days, Jounouchi’s presence felt so natural, like another family member, that nobody regarded him as a guest as he stayed over at the Mutou residence. True to his word, he helped out with the household and as he was quite handy, he fixed a couple of leaks, replaced an electrical outlet and was happy to repaint the room of Yuugi’s mother, as she wanted to change its interior decoration.

The tension seemed to have ebbed away, but both Yuugi and Jounouchi were extremely busy with college as their mid-terms were coming up, and while Jounouchi was still searching for an affordable apartment, Yuugi was occupied with Atemu’s trip. He didn’t want to miss out on any moment he could be with his Pharaoh before he would leave. The day of his departure still arrived too soon and Yuugi would take him to Domino City airport to see him off. Atemu said his goodbyes to the family. Yuugi’s mother and Sugoroku wished him a safe trip. He turned towards Jounouchi.

“Goodbye, Jounouchi-kun,” he said.

“Have fun and kick some American ass!” He suddenly took him into a big hug. Very briefly though, so Atemu wouldn’t feel embarrassed or overwhelmed, but not giving him enough time to return the gesture either. When he pulled away from him again, Jounouchi glanced at Atemu a little apprehensively, but nothing seemed to have changed, except for a slight look of surprise on his face. 

“We have to go now,” Yuugi said, “we don’t want to miss your flight, mou hitori no boku.”

“Yes, we are leaving.” Atemu smiled at the others. “See you all in three weeks!”

“Bye! Take care!” everybody called after him. Yuugi jiggled with the car keys. After graduating Domino High, he had learned how to drive. The city’s public transportation was excellent, but he thought it was a vital, important skill and he was glad he had mastered it. They reached the airport without any delays and Atemu checked in. Before he went through customs, Yuugi stopped him. They kissed.

“Three whole, long weeks,” he said softly. 

“I will call you every day,” Atemu promised.

“Call me as soon as you’ve landed,” Yuugi said and touched his face. “I don’t care what time it is, I want to know that you’ve arrived safely.”

“It is going to take a while,” Atemu said. He had to travel to Narita Airport first, which would take him two hours, then a layover of two more hours and then another fourteen hours to get to the United States. Kaiba had taken care of all the documents and had arranged for a seat in business class, which provided at least some comfort during such a long travel.

“Don’t drink alcohol on the plane,” Yuugi reminded him, even though it sounded lame to his own ears. “You don’t hold your liquor well, and the air is different in a plane. I don’t want you to arrive drunk off of your ass.”

“I will only drink water, aibou,” Atemu promised him sincerely. A metallic voice announced the boarding call for business class passengers, and Atemu had to really leave. Yuugi waved after him for as long as he could, but once Atemu was through the gate and out of sight, he left the airport, feeling down.

\-------------------------------------

The week kept Yuugi busy enough to not be upset about the absence of his partner too much. All of the teachers piled it on thick, demanding projects and presentations, and he had a lot of studying to do. Jounouchi kept himself in the background, studying and working just as hard. He didn’t need to stress about finding a new apartment, as he was welcome to stay with the Mutou family for as long as it was necessary, but Yuugi’s mother and grandfather were oblivious to any undercurrent of emotions, just as Atemu had been.

Yuugi realized how difficult it had to be for Jounouchi, just as he was struggling himself. They were so close, yet they had to be so far apart. He wished they could act upon their emotions, but it wasn’t possible. He missed his Pharaoh the most at night, when he was in bed, trying to fall asleep. Yuugi was glad though, that Atemu was having the time of his life. No one else but Rebecca Hopkins had picked him up from the airport and she was showing him around, helping him out with the English translations and making sure that he arrived everywhere at the right time. She referred to him as ‘darling’, just like she had done with Yuugi, but she was well aware of their relationship and didn’t mean it as to interfere, but as an affectionate name. Rebecca wasn’t that active in dueling anymore, also completely occupied by her computer science studies at a prestigious American university. 

Her grandfather, Professor Hopkins, sent his regards to Sugoroku, who was very excited to hear from his old friend. Atemu called daily through Skype, waking Yuugi up every now and then as he didn’t take the time zones into account. Yuugi didn’t care of course, he only wanted to hear Atemu’s voice. They exchanged cutesy words and ‘I miss you’ for hours on end; if it had been a regular phone connection, the bill would’ve been sky high. 

The first weekend without Atemu was approaching fast. Yuugi was looking forward to it as his head was spinning; he had studied a lot and worked ahead with Jounouchi on several projects, so they both could take the entire weekend off. Delighted at the prospect of having time off, Yuugi walked into the kitchen with a big smile on his face, to get himself a snack.

“Kaa-san,” he greeted his mother as he opened the fridge. 

“Yuugi-kun,” she said, “I’m spending this weekend with friends, remember?” He blushed, embarrassed. He’d been so caught up with his studies that he had completely forgotten about it.   
“I’ll be back on Sunday afternoon.”

“What about jii-chan?” Yuugi asked, fearing that he had missed another important part of information. 

“Well, he’s not coming along with me,” she chuckled. “I do believe he’s meeting up with some friends of his own this Saturday evening, so you’ll probably have to drive him.”

“No problem,” Yuugi said. 

“I trust you to keep the house clean and not to make a mess out of the kitchen,” she threatened him half-heartedly. “I’ve made some dinners for you and Jounouchi-kun to heat up, or you can call for take out.”

“Kaa-san, I know how to cook,” Yuugi said. “Besides, there are many leftovers in the fridge…we could get a week worth’s of dinners out of that.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Ever since Jounouchi started to live with them, she had increased the portion size at dinner, as he ate much more than she was used to. She had adapted quickly enough, and Yuugi was amused at the fridge, stocked to the brim. He mulled over her words. If she and his grandfather were gone, that meant he had the Saturday evening for himself. Great, maybe he could just hang out in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn...? Just to take his mind off Atemu not being there with him…

\--------------------------------------


	3. Chapter 3

Jounouchi had agreed to watch TV with him that Saturday evening. The idea of relaxing while watching a generic action movie appealed to him; after all, he’d been studying just as hard as Yuugi, and they were exhausted from taking the mid-terms. It was time to wind down; Yuugi prepared a wide array of snacks while Jounouchi had bought a couple of Sapporo beers. They both were very modest drinkers; Yuugi didn’t like the taste of alcohol all that much, and Jounouchi was afraid to end up just like his father. 

They made themselves comfortable in the living room, surrounded by snacks and drinks, as they watched the movie. Yuugi enjoyed spending time like this: no worries about studies, projects, work or any other obligation. He sat next to Jounouchi on the sofa, commenting on the movie while either snacking or sipping the beer. He had his cell phone out for when his grandfather would call to come pick him up, and of course for any incoming messages of Atemu. He was in New York at this stage of his Duel Monsters promotion tour and the time difference was at least fourteen hours, so Yuugi didn’t really expect a message right now… but you never know. 

“I can’t believe this plot twist!” Jounouchi exclaimed. “He has a twin brother that no one has heard of or met before?”

“It’s like a soap opera disguised as a movie, just by adding some explosions and guns,” Yuugi commented. Jounouchi chuckled. 

“How do you like this concept for our newest game? A soap RPG, or an action love story? Our teachers would be horrified!”

“We could say we wanted to try out something different,” Yuugi said. “A soap game!”

“Who knows? The best ideas start off on a spontaneous whim.”

“True, true.” Yuugi shook his can of Sapporo beer; it was empty.

“Would you like another?”

“No, thank you, Jounouchi-kun. I have to pick up my grandfather still tonight… I’ll make some tea, all right?”

“Yeah, I’ll switch to tea as well.” Jounouchi put his empty can to the side and continued to watch the movie while Yuugi busied himself with preparing the tea. He returned to the living room when he was done.

“What did I miss?”

“The twin brother has kidnapped his brother’s girlfriend,” Jounouchi said, “and strapped her to some kind of doomsday device. Who knew he was evil all along?”

Yuugi laughed and poured the tea. He handed a cup to Jounouchi. “Here you are.”

“Thank you.” He smiled. “You really like to take care of others,” he said. “Your big and kind heart, that makes you so special.”

Yuugi blushed slightly. “It’s how I’ve always been, Jounouchi-kun.”

“I know.” Jounouchi sipped the tea. The movie was almost at its end, but they had lost their interest in it anyway. “Yuugi…we’ve spoken about our feelings. We confessed to each other… but did we actually speak about _when_ we started to feel… this for each other? I mean… you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Yuugi didn’t need to think. “I’ve always admired your strength, willpower and determination,” he said. “You fight for what you believe in. You had the strength to leave your old life of violence and gangs behind. The strength to withstand your father and his alcoholism, not allowing him to dominate your life. You believed in your sister, that she could make it through the surgery, and you did everything in your power to help her. You never back off, not even once, especially if you have a goal set in your mind. Not many people thought you’d succeed at university, but you proved them wrong. I’ve loved you for a long time, Jounouchi-kun. It’s really hard to determine the moment ‘when’. It’s been… simmering for quite a while. I put my feelings on hold, for lack of a better description, when we were so busy finding Atemu’s name, and the events leading up to the Ceremonial Duel. After that, when he got to stay, I was so ecstatic that there was no room for anyone else at the moment… but my feelings for you never went away. Especially when we worked together on that last project. It felt like so many pieces coming together.”

Jounouchi nodded. “I knew it for a long time,” he said. “It was hard for me to understand, because you’re my best friend, and I couldn’t understand the attraction at first, both physical and emotional. I didn’t realize that best friends could evolve to lovers, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. You’ve been always there, always supporting me, and you’re such a part of my life that I can’t imagine spending one day without you. My life would be worthless without you. Now I know that I want to be with you, Yuugi. As a lover, as a friend... I’ll take anything.”

Yuugi was silent for a moment. “What about Atemu?” he softly asked.

“When your soul had been taken away during the whole DOMA ordeal,” Jounouchi continued, a saddened hint to his voice as that had been a particularly painful and stressed experience, “he was so lost, so sad, so full of guilt. All I wanted to do was to take him into my arms and tell him everything was going to be all right. I regarded him as a friend up until then, but when I saw his vulnerable, open side - that strong Pharaoh, thrown back on himself and no one but himself, and still finding the courage to grow and face his opponents - that’s when I knew. He’s so human and divine at the same time, and I would do anything for him. I would do anything for the both of you. But…”

“But what?”

“At that same time, I learned the lesson that my love for him was simply impossible,” Jounouchi said, downtrodden. “He would never reciprocate. He couldn’t think about anything or anyone but you. Not to redeem himself, not to conquer Dartz, no, just to get you back. The way he spoke of you - it was so, so clear. In his eyes, his voice, his posture. Did Anzu ever tell you about his duel with Haga on top of a train, by any chance? No? Haga showed him a card, claiming that it contained your soul. He ripped it up in front of him.”

“How horrible!” Yuugi listened attentively, abhorred.

“Atemu had a combination in play that allowed him to draw and deal damage to his opponent if the drawn card was a monster card below a certain ATK. She didn’t know the exact details…”

“Sounds like Berserker Soul to me,” Yuugi was quick to recognize the combo. “Go on.”

“Anyway, Atemu could finish Haga in just two attacks, but he went on and on,” Jounouchi said. “Anzu lost count, but she thought it was at least seven, eight times. It was complete overkill. _That_ was his reaction.”

Yuugi felt sad. He didn’t have much sympathy for Haga, but not even he had deserved this. On the other hand, Atemu’s extreme reaction didn’t really surprise him.

“He would kill for you, Yuugi,” Jounouchi said. “He _will_ kill for you if it’s necessary. And I love him for that protectiveness, that utter devotion, that solid love. I wish could experience the same, but it’s impossible.”

“No Jounouchi-kun, please don’t keep saying that.”

“We have to be realistic.” Jounouchi moved up his hand, touching Yuugi’s cheek. His fingers trembled. “He’ll never accept me into a relationship, Yuugi. His love is only for you, and he’ll reject any notion that he could love anyone else as much as you.”

“I know.” Yuugi couldn’t help himself, he leaned into his touch. It wasn’t as familiar as Atemu touching him, Jounouchi’s fingers weren’t as long and slender as his, but it was so… welcome, so warm. “I know he cares for you. I… if we talk to him… we might get a positive answer. We can at least try, can’t we?”

“I also love your optimism,” Jounouchi said, but there was a definitive spark of hope in his voice. He moved his thumb to stroke Yuugi’s cheek. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Jounouchi-kun.” How could it be so sweet and so bitter at the same time? He tilted his head a little, as to not lose the other’s touch; they were so close now, Jounouchi leaning into him, and they kissed. It was hard to tell who initiated it; Yuugi parted his lips as soon as Jounouchi leaned into him, and he reacted. The kiss was full on the lips, intense and almost electrifying - it lasted only a few seconds and they pulled away from each other as if shocked by a jolt of energy. 

“You have no idea how much I longed for that to happen,” Jounouchi said, out of breath. “I… I’m sorry, and I’m not sorry.”

“I…” Yuugi didn’t know what to say. Guilt overwhelmed him, conflicting and confusing. 

“I should be sorry,” Jounouchi said. “I really didn’t mean to push it, Yuugi. I take full responsibility. I’ve set something in motion and I can’t stop. All the Gods help me, but I can’t stop. I thought I could bury or ignore my feelings and act like nothing was going on, but then I was evicted from my apartment and I moved in here… I was about to explode from happiness, just from being so close to the both of you.”

“Jounouchi-kun, I don’t regret kissing you. I’m not ashamed for feeling the way I feel for you,” Yuugi said. “But it wasn’t the right thing to do. We can’t keep Atemu in the dark about this.”

“We should tell him,” Jounouchi agreed.

“I’ll tell him, Jounouchi-kun.”

“No, I’ll do it. I started it. If he gets mad, I’d rather have his anger directed at me.”

“That’s not fair, Jounouchi-kun. I went along with the kiss, so it’s as much my responsibility as it’s yours. You don’t have to take the blame. I’m convinced of my love for you and I know you love me. I don’t doubt that. It’s hard for me to comprehend that I can love someone else just as much as I love Atemu. Does that mean he’s not enough for me?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Jounouchi said. “I can’t honestly say which one I love more. I want to be with the both of you, for the rest of my life. It’s overwhelming, yet satisfying. It feels like a natural fit, to be with you both.” He shook his head, sending his blond strands flying. “This is my fault. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I crossed boundaries and I just… couldn’t stop. And that sounds weak, even to my ears. If you want me to leave, I’ll understand.”

“No, I don’t want you to leave,” Yuugi said hastily and put his hand on Jounouchi’s. “But we can’t keep this to ourselves. I don’t want to go any further, not before I’ve spoken to him. I don’t want to hurt him.”

Jounouchi hesitated. “Would you… do you think that he would ever be open to… you know, us? The three of us?”

“I’m not sure. Like you said, he’s very one-track-minded, when it comes to the partner he loves. We never discussed an open relationship, as it was pretty clear from the start that we’d be only interested in each other. I’ve never, ever fathomed that this could happen.”

“What if he rejects it?”

“We can’t force him, Jounouchi-kun. No matter how painful, if he rejects it… us… then…” Yuugi felt a slight panic surging through his body. “I don’t want to choose between you and him! I don’t want you on the sidelines! I want you to be a part of my life, just like Atemu is!”

“We have to be strong, or we’ll end up hurting someone innocent we both love so much.”

“Yes, you’re right. Let’s finish watching the movie,” Yuugi said, but the relaxed atmosphere was gone and he was glad that the silence was interrupted by a call from his grandfather, who wanted to be picked up at his friends’ place.

\--------------------------------------------

Restlessly, Yuugi paced back and forth. It was close to midnight and Atemu could arrive home any moment. He had text-messaged Yuugi that a KaibaCorp. limousine would take him to the Game Shop, sparing him a late trip to the airport. Yuugi anxiously waited for the former Pharaoh’s, along with the rest of the family and Jounouchi, who sat on the top of the stairs.

“I hear a car!” Yuugi made a beeline for the door, tore it open and was just in time to see Atemu stepping out of the luxurious limo. Yuugi ran towards him, arms spread wide to take him into a massive bear hug.

“Mou hitori no boku!”

“Aibou,” Atemu answered, almost choked to death by Yuugi’s tight grip. He managed to return the gesture by wrapping his arms around him. Yuugi pressed kisses all over his face.

“I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too,” Atemu said, pursing his lips for another kiss. Yuugi clung to him and refused to move until the driver coughed, a little awkwardly. 

“Oh, yes, excuse me,” Yuugi said and broke up the embrace. “Go inside, mou hitori no boku. Everybody’s waiting for you!”

The driver retrieved his luggage and Jounouchi helped to carry his suitcase. “Jounouchi-kun! So good to see you.”

“Good to see you too,” Jounouchi said, his voice as normal as could be, but he didn’t repeat the exuberant hug from when he said goodbye to him. Atemu looked tired from the trip, so without stalling, they went inside where Yuugi’s mother and grandfather waited. 

“I had such a wonderful time,” Atemu said after greeting his family. “I have so much to tell!”

“You’re exhausted, mou hitori no boku,” Yuugi said. “You have a massive jetlag and I know you didn’t have a moment of rest on your tour, Kaiba made sure of that. Why don’t you go to bed immediately? It’s far past midnight anyway. We can listen to your stories when you’ve rested.”

“He’s right, Atemu,” Jounouchi agreed. “Even the bags under your eyes have bags.”

“Well, I cannot argue with that,” Atemu said. “But first, I am going to take a shower. I feel cold.”

“Sure. Let’s get you upstairs.” Yuugi pushed him gently and without further protest, Atemu took the second set of stairs, to the attic. Yuugi couldn’t stop touching him, he was so glad that he was home again, and he was delighted to hear that Atemu had enjoyed his time overseas. For now, the excitement that the other half of his soul had returned, drowned out his worries and what he had to tell him.

\----------------------------------------

The next morning, Atemu had lost his voice and developed a nasty cough. Yuugi touched his forehead, and hissed.

“You’re running a fever, mou hitori no boku,” he said. “You probably caught a bug on the plane.”

“I have not seen a bug on the plane,” Atemu protested and coughed again. “It was a very clean aircraft.”

“It’s not something you can see,” Yuugi tried to explain. “It’s a virus, something microscopically small that can make you sick.”

“Oh... but I have never been sick before,” he said.

“There’s a first time for everything. You better stay in bed and rest up.”

“Kaiba is going to kill me,” Atemu said, as far as he was understandable; his voice was a fraction of what it used to be. 

“He can wait until you have fully recovered,” Yuugi said determinedly. “Leave him to me. You’re going to stay in bed, mou hitori no boku, until I say you’re well enough to get up.”

“But what about you?” Atemu asked. Yuugi patted his hand.

“Don’t worry. I’ll put a futon on the floor.” It wouldn’t be a good idea to snuggle up to Atemu right now, even though he wanted nothing but to. He couldn’t afford to get sick, not with all his schoolwork. “I’m going to class now,” he said, “and when I get back, I want to hear that you have rested, and hopefully you’re feeling better. I’ll leave kaa-san to take care of you, all right?”

“All right,” Atemu muttered, his eyes already closing.

\------------------------------------

With a worried look on his face, Yuugi stood next to the bed, observing a sleeping Atemu.

“How’s he doing?” Jounouchi asked, keeping his voice low. He was behind Yuugi, hands loosely draped on his shoulders.

“The fever won’t go down,” he said. “If this goes on for one more day, I’m calling the doctor. He’s barely eating, and his coughing is so violent… I’m so glad he’s finally asleep now.”

“He’s strong, Yuugi,” Jounouchi reassured him. “He’ll fight this off.”

“I should’ve known that traveling on a plane would make him sick,” Yuugi said, angry with himself. “His immune system has barely encountered a bug as he was mostly indoors, at the Game Shop.”

“Yuugi, he could’ve caught a cold anytime of the week, anywhere,” Jounouchi said. “He’s been into touch with many customers, he has visited KaibaCorp., tournaments.. heck, he could’ve picked up a bug from you or me! You can’t keep him in a plastic bubble. This would’ve happened sooner or later.”

“I know, I know…” Yuugi pouted. “I hate to see him sick.”

“I don’t like it either.” Jounouchi’s voice was filled with compassion. “We’re taking good care of him. He’ll get over this.”

“I know.” Yuugi sounded more confident than he actually felt. It was just a fever, not a life-threatening disease. He was disappointed; not in Atemu, but in himself. He wanted to tell the former Pharaoh about the kiss he had shared with Jounouchi, and now he was angry that the other half of his soul was sick? How could he even think in such a way? “We’ll leave him alone to rest.” 

“All right. Let’s go back to studying,” Jounouchi suggested. Yuugi followed him out of the room. He had longed to put his hand over Jounouchi’s, but he simply didn’t dare. Was he such a weak person, that he immediately sought out comfort with someone else as soon as his partner wasn’t available? Did he truly lack the strength to stand on his own? Downtrodden, he went downstairs.

\---------------------------------

Even though Atemu’s fever broke a day later, it took him another day to get out of bed and wander around a little, as weak as a kitten. It was Yuugi’s turn to look after Atemu today; when he was at college, his mother would take care of his needs. Yuugi prepared a copious lunch and he went to look up Atemu, currently in bed.

“Do you want to have lunch in the kitchen or do you want me to bring some food upstairs?” Yuugi asked. He smiled. “You do look a lot better, mou hitori no boku.”

“I feel much better,” he said, coughing just a little. “I am not that hungry, though.”

That had Yuugi worried more than he cared to admit. “You must eat something, to regain your strength. I made soup and sandwiches… you can have whatever you like..?”

“Some soup, then.” Atemu slung his legs over the edge of the bed.

Yuugi handed him his bathrobe. “I’ll go get the rest of the family, and see you in the kitchen.”

Ten minutes later, everyone was gathered around the large table. “This looks delicious,” Sugoroku said. “You certainly surpassed yourself, Yuugi.”

“I wanted to improve my culinary skills,” Yuugi quipped. “Dig in, everyone!”

Jounouchi rubbed his hands. “Nice! Where to start?”

“The sandwiches certainly look neat,” Yuugi’s mother said, happy that he had managed to prepare the lunch without making a mess out of the kitchen. She passed the large tray with sandwiches around while Yuugi filled a bowl of soup for Atemu and handed it to him. 

“Eat up,” he encouraged him, “it’s hearty and full of nutritional ingredients.”

“Thank you,” Atemu said and picked up his spoon. Sugoroku started up a discussion about politics and Yuugi’s mother disagreed, in a polite manner. Yuugi didn’t partake in the conversation, he was too busy watching Atemu. He was delighted to see that he ate the bowl of soup quite quickly, and then asked for a sandwich.

“Which one would you like?” Jounouchi asked, as he held the platter. 

“With cheese, please.”

Jounouchi handed him the sandwich in such a delicate, careful manner that it endeared Yuugi. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could be together like this for the rest of their lives, sharing and enjoying? The mood was so amicable and lovely, he didn’t want lunch to end. Atemu grew silent however and nibbled on the sandwich, only half-way through, each bite taking him more time and energy to process.

“Mou hitori no boku, it’s okay if you can’t finish your sandwich. Just leave it.”

“I think I am full, yes,” Atemu said, his cheeks reddish. The hustle and bustle of lunch had exhausted him as he hadn’t fully recovered yet. He felt embarrassed that he couldn’t finish his food, while Yuugi was worried about him not eating much more than a bowl of soup and a few bites of bread. He had already lost weight, and he didn’t have much meat on his frame to begin with. 

“Let’s get you back to bed.” Yuugi got up from the table. Atemu followed him meekly.

“Did Kaiba call, by any chance?” he asked as they climbed the stairs.

“Yes, he calls daily to ask what takes you so long to recover,” Yuugi answered. “As he’s never been sick, he wonders why you’re not up and running after one night of good sleep.”

“Moron,” Atemu mumbled. 

“He also asks _if_ you’re recovering, mou hitori no boku. He’s actually quite concerned.”

“He is? Well, probably because he wants me to do more marketing and promotion.”

Yuugi tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. “I told him you need time to recover, and that you’re not going back to work before I say so.”

He was enamored by Atemu’s gentle smile. “Aibou.”

“Yes?”

“I love you so much. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“You know that I would take care of you anytime, mou hitori no boku. I love you too.” He leaned into him again for another kiss. Atemu brought up his hand, cupping Yuugi’s face.

“Other half of my soul,” he sighed. “My world. My life.”

Yuugi mimicked his gesture, putting his hand against his cheek. His skin still felt warm to the touch, but it was nowhere close to a fever, fortunately. “You’re my everything,” he whispered. “Get some rest. You really need it.”

Atemu nodded, but he didn’t withdraw his hand. Yuugi sat on the bedside and watched how his breathing evened out, slowly. Before his hand would drop, Yuugi took it gently into his and pressed a kiss to his fingers. He wondered why Atemu had chosen this moment to profess his love to him. Could he be emotional from being sick? He never was this open about his emotions, and now he suddenly had said those wonderful words. Why was this all so difficult?

\--------------------------------------

Another week went by, faster than Yuugi could blink. He was taking his midterms and needed all his focus and attention, just like Jounouchi. Kaiba hogged Atemu’s time as soon as he was fully recovered, and the former Pharaoh enjoyed being in the spotlight as he was playing tournaments again. He helped out as much at the Game Shop as he could, but it became clear that his priorities were shifting. He enjoyed the tournaments and promotion of Duel Monsters more than actually working at the store. Sugoroku didn’t mind, but he was well into his seventies and he couldn’t work full-time. Whenever possible, Yuugi helped out a hand; and after today, his final midterm, he had more free time anyway. He was glad about it; these exams were taking a huge toll on him. In front of him, he could see Jounouchi, completely engrossed with the exams. _Focus, Mutou,_ he thought to himself. After two grueling hours, the exam was over.

“How about coffee?” Yuugi said.

“I’d thought you never asked,” Jounouchi quipped. “I need some caffeine, otherwise I’m going to keel over!”

They went to a coffee shop instead of the university’s cafeteria; after working and studying so hard, they deserved real coffee, not the generic drab that was served at Domino University. After ordering, they compared answers from the tests.

“We’ve got this in the bag,” Jounouchi said, confidently. Yuugi agreed. He sipped his coffee and inhaled the scent simultaneously.

“Ahhh, just what I needed.”

Jounouchi shifted his cup around. “I’m so glad that Atemu has completely recovered. It was just a bug, but he was so sick. I wanted nothing but to take him in my arms and take care of him.”

“You did take care of him,” Yuugi said, softly. “You brought him food, water and medication. You helped him recover, Jounouchi-kun.”

He sloshed the coffee around in his cup. “But what if I break him? By telling him what happened between us, last weekend?”

“He won’t break that easily,” Yuugi said, “but I can’t imagine him being happy when he hears it.” He heaved a sigh. Jounouchi didn’t look too happy about either. Yuugi had contemplated, for the briefest of moments, to not tell Atemu after all, but he simply couldn’t live with it. Keeping something from the other half of his soul was awful, and he rejected that option. He was going to tell him, and he was going to deal with the consequences.

\--------------------------------------


	4. Chapter 4

It was difficult to pick the ‘right’ moment. Yuugi thought he had an opportunity this Sunday, as a huge shipment to restock the Game Shop had arrived earlier and he helped out Atemu to put everything on the shelves and in the right display case. He waited for the right moment to open up, but he kept hesitating. He watched Atemu work and felt a little bit sorry for him. The former Pharaoh enjoyed his promotional Duel Monsters work for Kaiba, but he felt guilty about cutting back his hours at the Game Shop and desperately tried to make up for it. He was tired and Yuugi could see it, as Atemu worked non-stop, not holding the tiniest break, not resting for a moment. Yuugi decided to get the work done first and then, after lunch, to tell him. 

He helped him out as best as he could and took care of all the merchandise until he heard Jounouchi holler. He was in charge of preparing lunch today and the _yakisoba_ was ready. He helped out in the household as much as he could, true to his word, and though he wasn’t fond of cooking, a noodle dish with plenty of vegetables like _yakisoba_ was something even he could prepare well. When Yuugi and Atemu entered the kitchen, Jounouchi glanced at Yuugi who shook his head. _Not yet_. Atemu’s entire posture showed off his fatigue. Yuugi knew he had all kinds of chores planned for the afternoon as well, leaving him no time to relax. Was this a good moment to tell him? Suddenly, Atemu swayed from left to right as he tried to grab himself a seat. 

“Watch it!” Jounouchi had quick reflexes and reached Atemu faster than Yuugi could. He wrapped his arms around him to keep him from losing his balance.

“I almost fell,” Atemu said, sounding amazed, and slightly confused at the same time.

“You’re a little distraught,” Jounouchi said. “Where are your thoughts?”

“I have much to do,” Atemu answered; he wasn’t complaining, but stating a fact. It was obvious that he felt guilty about leaving the Game Shop to Sugoroku so often, while the intention had been that the elderly man would retire and Atemu would take over the store. Now that he enjoyed working for Kaiba more than being a store clerk, he felt torn between his responsibilities and duties. That was another issue that had to be addressed soon.

“Did you injure yourself?” Jounouchi asked. He was still holding Atemu who didn’t protest. 

“Ah, my ankle…”

“Did you sprain it?” Yuugi looked a little worried. He had heard a strange noise when Atemu had reached for the chair.

“No, I do not think so. I bumped into the chair…that is all.”

“Mou hitori no boku, you almost fell. You can barely stand on your feet!”

“I just need to eat something,” he murmured. He shifted a little, and it was only then that Jounouchi let him go, reluctantly. Atemu sat down.

“I don’t know what you have planned this afternoon, but you’re going to park your ass in the living room and stay there,” Yuugi said sternly. 

“Nonsense, aibou, I…”

“I don’t want to hear about it!” Yuugi blushed, realizing that he had raised his voice, much to his own surprise. Even Jounouchi stared at him. “I mean, you should sit down and take some rest. Read the newspaper or something.” 

“Perhaps,” Atemu said, but he sounded tempted. He looked at the massive bowl with _yakisoba_ in front of him and picked up his chopsticks. Jounouchi wasn’t skimping on portion size, happily eating the hearty meal. Yuugi’s restlessness grew stronger as they were eating. He kept stealing glances at Jounouchi, who stole glances at both him and Atemu, and Yuugi kept an eye on Atemu as well, with the former Pharaoh totally unaware of what was going on. He couldn’t delay any longer. This was the ‘right’ moment, if you could call it that way… with their plates finished, Atemu thanked for the meal and was about to get up from his seat. Yuugi took him by the elbow.

“Go to the living room, mou hitori no boku,” he said.

“I really should…” Atemu started.

“Please,” Yuugi insisted. “Go to the living room. There’s something I need to tell you.”

Atemu looked at him, surprised by the serious tone in his voice. “If you want me to, aibou,” he said, sounding a little insecure.

“I want you to,” Yuugi said and watched as Atemu left. Jounouchi had busied himself with the dirty dishes in the sink and looked over his shoulder.

“Now?” he asked softly.

“Now,” Yuugi said, just as softly. He was already regretting his choice; it felt like his entire lunch wanted to come back up again.

\----------------------------------

Atemu had chosen a seat on the sofa and looked up with a curious expression when Yuugi walked into the living room. Yuugi sat down next to him.

“What is it that you need to tell me, aibou?”

“I…” There was no other way he could tell him. He had to bite the bullet. “I love you very much, mou hitori no boku,” he said. “You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Atemu said. “I can see and feel it every day.” He tilted his head a little, alarmed. “What is going on?”

“I… have discovered that I feel much love for Jounouchi-kun as well,” Yuugi said. “In fact, I think I’m _in_ love with him. I don’t know how to say it, mou hitori no boku. You love Jounouchi-kun too, right?”

“Of course I do,” Atemu answered, without hesitation. “But... aibou… what are you exactly talking about?”

“I feel more for Jounouchi-kun than just a friend,” Yuugi tried to explain. “Love as in love-love. Love as in a life partner.” He carefully watched Atemu’s face, searching for a change in his expression, either positive or negative. At the moment, he was staring at Yuugi fairly blankly, as if his words failed to reach him and nothing was processed or registered. “I told this to Jounouchi-kun, when he confessed his love for me.”

“He confessed his love for you? You have fallen in love with each other?” Atemu asked, after a minute of painful silence. 

“We have always loved each other, like friends,” Yuugi said. “As of late, we noticed that that love had deepened itself. From friends to more than just friends. To potential life partners.”

“ _I_ am your life partner, aibou,” Atemu protested. Yuugi reached for his hand and clamped it between his hands, stroking his fingers.

“Yes, you are. The other half of my soul, so strong, so filled with love and dedication. I love you so much. Jounouchi-kun loves you too. He loves the two of us, and we love him.”

“I…” Atemu looked confused. 

“Do you understand, mou hitori no boku?” Yuugi examined his reactions very carefully. “That Jounouchi-kun loves the both of us?”

“I understand,” Atemu said. “Why is he not telling me this, but you are?”

“We thought it was for the best that I told you. Jounouchi-kun wants to be a part of our relationship, but he respects our boundaries, our wishes and choices.”

“I see.” Atemu frowned a little and Yuugi allowed him the time to mull over his words. He could read him well, but now there was nothing but confusion and bewilderment on his face. 

“Do you think you’d be able to accept Jounouchi-kun into our relationship?” Yuugi asked, and as Atemu’s eyes immediately darkened, he knew he had gone too fast. 

“No, I do not,” he said, confirming Yuugi’s thoughts. “I am in love with you, aibou, not with him. Jounouchi-kun is a valued and wonderful friend, but my love for him is not the same as it is for you.”

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to put any pressure on you.” Yuugi caressed Atemu’s hand between his. “But there’s something you must know, mou hitori no boku. We have confessed these feelings to each other, Jounouchi-kun and I. When you… when you were traveling through the United States, we both felt lonely without you, and when we were watching a movie… we kissed.” 

“You… _what_?”

“We kissed,” Yuugi repeated. Abhorred, he watched Atemu’s expression go from annoyed to angry to dark, his eyes taking on such a menacing depth that it scared him.

“You _kissed_!”

“Yes, we did. I don’t want to keep any secrets from you,” Yuugi hurried to say. “It wasn’t something we intended to do, to hurt you.”

“You kissed someone else and you think it would not hurt me?”

“Not ‘someone else’, it was Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi said. “Please, try to understand that we love each other!”

“So what if I do understand,” Atemu gave back, “what do you want me to do? What am I supposed to do with this knowledge?”

“I want you to take your time and think about it,” Yuugi said. Atemu hadn’t withdrawn his hand, but if it were possible, his extremities felt cold, as if his body temperature had significantly dropped. 

“ _I_ have to think about it? What about you?”

“I admit immediately that all these feelings are overwhelming, confusing and conflicting,” Yuugi said. “But I want us to be happy and preferably, happy together.”

“You did not even bother to ask my opinion about it at all,” Atemu said and his voice dropped to a cold low, just like his body temperature. Much to Yuugi’s dismay, he withdrew his hand, clenching his fingers even into a fist. “You went behind my back to kiss someone else and even though you confessed it to me, you talk about these feelings and emotions of which I had never any knowledge about! Why do you dump this on me and burden me with it?”

“Kissing each other was a mistake,” Yuugi admitted again. “We shouldn’t have given into temptation, mou hitori no boku. I…”

“I would never look at someone else, let alone kiss! Why did you not come to me earlier, to share these feelings? Why did you not tell me?”

“It was so difficult!” Yuugi wanted to touch the other and comfort him, but Atemu’s body language was stiff and rejecting. “I know it sounds like a lame excuse but it’s not, it’s really not, mou hitori no boku! I needed time to process it all, how it was even possible to feel love for someone else…”

“The message is clear to me,” Atemu said. “You do not love me enough.”

“No!” Yuugi cried out loud, his voice shrill. “No! Never doubt that! I love you!”

“Then why is there room for someone else?”

“Not just ‘someone else’, please,” Yuugi said. “He’s our best friend and he loves us both. Jounouchi-kun means a lot to us.”

“He does,” Atemu said, “as a friend, but not as a lover! I will not accept this, and I will not accept from you that you are kissing other people.”

“I understand,” Yuugi said. “It was a mistake for which I can’t apologize enough.”

“At least it _was_ Jounouchi-kun,” Atemu said and brusquely stood up from the sofa, “and not someone else. I would have killed him!”

“Mou hitori no boku,” Yuugi stood up as well. He wanted to stop him from leaving, as this was getting out of hand. Atemu was focusing on the kiss only, not on Yuugi’s message that Jounouchi loved the both of them and his wish to share a relationship with them. “Please, I understand that you’re upset, but think about it. I mean, give yourself some time to-”

“I will think about it when I want to, not when you tell me to,” Atemu spat angrily and stormed out of the living room. He thundered down the stairs and for a brief moment Yuugi feared he was going to go to Jounouchi and demand answers out of him, or even worse…but he heard a door slam shut and he realized that Atemu had fled to the Game Shop. Yuugi heaved a sigh. How could he have done this more wrong? He had totally failed to bring this situation to a good end. He shouldn’t have thought so lightly about the kiss. Even though he had shared the kiss with Jounouchi, their best friend, it didn’t mean it was something to overlook or to sweep under the rug. Perhaps _because_ Jounouchi was their best friend, it was twice as difficult to take it. 

How could he have misjudged it so wrong? Yuugi’s mind came up with an answer, something he should’ve known all along. Atemu had been right; instead of sharing his feelings, instead of asking his opinion, Yuugi had simply assumed that he would go along in the relationship. Simply because he wanted it so much himself, as he reciprocated Jounouchi’s feelings, he had totally surpassed Atemu and the guilt and shame took a massive toll on him. He shouldn’t have done this. He shouldn’t have confessed to Atemu, no matter how much he disliked keeping secrets from him. When he and Jounouchi had confessed their feelings for each other, they should’ve agreed to not act upon it, instead of trying to involve Atemu. He sat down on the couch again, overwhelmed. The soft footsteps he heard weren’t his lover’s, that was for sure.

“It didn’t go that well, did it..?” Jounouchi sounded almost child-like, his voice tense and curious. Yuugi could hear the faint hope and he shivered, not liking to crush it. Hope was sometimes everything you had. 

“I’m sorry, Jounouchi-kun, he reacted very badly to the kiss,” Yuugi said. Jounouchi’s face fell. “I think he tried to understand our mutual feelings, and maybe he did get the message; but when I started about the kiss, he flipped.”

“We can’t blame him,” Jounouchi said.

“We don’t, and we won’t.” Yuugi heaved another sigh. He felt drained. He was glad that he was the one who had talked to Atemu, not Jounouchi. His friend sat down on the couch, at a respectable distance. He folded his hands into his lap.

“I could hear most of the… conversation from the kitchen. I don’t think he really understands it,” Jounouchi said. “Yuugi, I don’t want to be a disturbing factor. I’ll start looking for an apartment first thing in the morning.”

“Jounouchi-kun, please don’t leave!”

“I never, ever want to come between you guys,” Jounouchi said. “I want to be with you, the both of you, I want to be a part of your life, but never to come _between_ you and tear things apart. I don’t want to exert any stress or pressure. When we spoke about this, we said to each other that we would respect boundaries. We obviously crossed Atemu’s boundaries and now I’m afraid I’ve ruined our friendship. I want to salvage what I can, and not lose two friends.”

“You’ll never lose me,” Yuugi said.

Jounouchi shook his head. “What if he forbids you from seeing me?”

“He can’t, and he won’t. He’s not like that, Jounouchi-kun. It would be impossible anyway: I see you at class every day.”

“It’s a question he can ask of you, or rather, demand of you,” Jounouchi said. “What would you do if the other half of your soul demands to stop seeing me? Would you go against him, defy him?”

“No. Never.” It wasn’t really a surprise that he didn’t hesitate with his answer, and he started to cry. He couldn’t stop. It was the harsh truth, but he would always choose Atemu over Jounouchi, no matter what. Jounouchi nodded, having known the answer already. Yuugi wrung his hands. Atemu would never force him to make a choice like that, would he? But if he did… if he would ask…

“I think it’s better if I stayed away tonight,” Jounouchi said. “I’ll hang out at Honda’s and make myself scarce for a while. I don’t want to confront Atemu with my presence now that everything’s out in the open and still so raw.”

“You can’t stay with Honda-kun for long,” Yuugi objected. Honda got recently engaged and his girlfriend had moved in his small apartment. The happy couple wouldn’t exactly be happy about a third party crashing in their living room. Honda would never show his friend the door and welcome him, but still… it would be a strain. “You can stay here. Nobody said that you had to leave.”

“But Yuugi, we run into each other all the time, don’t you think..? I mean… well, he didn’t say that I should leave… it could be very painful.”

“You can stay away during the day, but come home every night. This _is_ your home. You have a roof over your head here, Jounouchi-kun. Always.”

“But I destroyed it with my own hands,” he said softly. “I should’ve shut up and suffered in silence, instead of opening my big yap and ruining it all.”

“Don’t talk like that.” Yuugi rubbed harshly at his eyes. “We need time.” 

“Time,” Jounouchi repeated. He didn’t sound very convinced.

\---------------------------------------

Atemu didn’t show himself for the entire afternoon and Yuugi decided it was for the better to leave him alone. He had his own work to do. He was done with his midterms, but the senseis had given their students more than enough work and projects for the remainder of the academic year. He also had some household chores to finish; Jounouchi helped out, but disappeared around dinnertime. Yuugi didn’t stop him. He trusted his friend’s judgment and it was perhaps for the best to not confront each other right now. Dinner was his responsibility for today and Yuugi finished cooking, turning off the heat. He went downstairs to the store and opened the door. Atemu was in the midst of a couple of boxes and Yuugi couldn’t see what he’d been doing. He softly said: “Mou hitori no boku, come upstairs, please. Dinner’s ready.”

“I am not hungry,” he said.

“It’s just the two of us,” Yuugi said. It hurt. “Please.”

Atemu took a minute to think about it, but apparently his empty stomach prevailed. He got up, turning towards Yuugi. Without another word, they went upstairs to the kitchen. Yuugi made sure everything was served on the table and handed him a large bowl.

“Did you work all afternoon in the store?” he asked, though the answer was obvious. He just wanted to hear his voice.

“Yes,” Atemu said. “I sorted through the rest of the shipment.”

“Jii-chan will be happy with such a neat inventory,” Yuugi said. Atemu remained silent and the atmosphere dropped to an icy low. After three bites of _udon_ , Atemu dropped his chopsticks.

“I am going to bed early,” he said. 

“Mou hitori no boku…” Yuugi knew he couldn’t stop him, no matter how much he wanted to. He put his head into his hands. He didn’t know what to do. It might be for the best to leave Atemu alone so he could deal with it, but this was so important to talk about. How could he find the balance in talking to him without exercising any pressure and comforting him, after receiving this news? He had no idea. Not having much appetite himself, Yuugi took care of the dirty dishes and put the leftovers in the fridge. He tried to spend the evening studying, but he couldn’t focus. Nothing on TV could interest him and he found himself climbing the stairs to the attic. 

It was dark and he sneaked into the bedroom. Atemu was indeed in bed, lying with his back to him, facing the wall. Yuugi could see more than enough due to the moonlight shining in through the skylight. He sat down on the bed gently, the mattress shifting with the added weight. He leaned into Atemu and put his hand on his shoulder, just to touch him, not wanting to wake him. Yuugi wished he had gone about it all differently. He knew Atemu was hurt; and any pain the other half of his soul went through, was painful for him too.

\--------------------------------------

If Yuugi’s mother and grandfather noticed the sudden strange tension in the house, they didn’t comment on it. Yuugi’s mother could be quite oblivious, but Sugoroku shot Yuugi a questioning look every now and then. The elderly man was too polite to pry, but Yuugi knew that he expected him to talk to him. He didn’t want to involve his grandfather in such personal matters and when Sugoroku did manage to corner him, Yuugi muttered something about ‘work and study stress’ and hurried away while apologizing.

In the following weeks, the atmosphere returned to its previous amiable state with every passing day, but Atemu wasn’t his old self yet. He didn’t initiate any physical contact and Yuugi longed for his touch so much that it almost drove him crazy, but he respected his lover and didn’t want to ruin the currently fragile connection between them. However, he wasn’t used to Atemu not talking to him but polite platitudes as “Can you hand me the sugar” or a curt “Yes, please” when asked if he wanted tea. 

“We have to give him time,” Jounouchi reminded Yuugi. True to his word, he made himself scarce during the day. It wasn’t that difficult, as he had much work to do for class and he spent a lot of time at the university library or café. 

“I’m so afraid that he won’t talk to me, ever again,” Yuugi said. “I can’t believe how I ruined everything.”

“No, you didn’t. _I_ did, remember?” Jounouchi refused to let Yuugi take all the blame. “I should’ve shut up, and waited for my feelings to go away.”

“But they wouldn’t go away, Jounouchi-kun. And if you hadn’t started it, I would. I was wrestling with the same feelings…”

“Atemu was right, we shouldn’t have acted upon it. I initiated the kiss, so it’s my fault,” Jounouchi reasoned. “It’s only fair that I should talk to him, Yuugi. I want to make him clear that it wasn’t you who started it, but me. It’ll be hard to live without his friendship, but I don’t want to see your relationship ruined.”

Yuugi slumped into his seat. “Very well,” he said. “It’s at least worth a try.”

 

They went home and helped Yuugi’s mother out with the dinner preparations. Dinner was uneventful and afterwards, Atemu retreated to the bedroom in the attic. Kaiba had given him a state of the art laptop and as Yuugi had feared, Atemu buried himself in work, both for Kaiba and the Game Shop. Everyone else was scattered through the house and Jounouchi nodded firmly at Yuugi before climbing the stairs. He knocked politely on the door before entering.

“Atemu,” he softly called out his name. “I’d like to talk to you.”

Atemu looked up from his laptop, twisting in his chair. “Yes?” 

Jounouchi was relieved that he didn’t tell him to leave. He choose to sit down on the bed and instead of carefully forming his words, he blurted out in whatever came up first in him, as usual.

“It’s my fault,” he said. “I started the kiss, not Yuugi. I understand that you’re mad and disappointed with us…heck, I’d feel the same if it had happened to me. All that I want to tell you is that I love the both of you. We both handled it the wrong way. I should’ve come to you and confess to you first, instead of dumping it on Yuugi, and he on you, taking you by surprise.” He paused to take a breath and as Atemu didn’t tell him to stop, he resumed talking. 

“At the end of the Ceremonial Duel, I realized how important you were to me. Well, you’ve always been important to me, but… well, you know. You were about to… leave for your family and your home, and I even told Anzu that you’d always be in our heart, no matter where you’d go. It was so hypocritical, because in my mind I was begging you to stay. I knew at that moment, that what I was feeling for you, was more than just friendship. I hid it from myself, as I saw how you hugged Yuugi and how you both trembled and shook as you held each other. It was so much love, so pure, I didn’t want to come in-between that." 

"I’m just Jounouchi from the streets, and Yuugi is the King of Games and you’re a goddamn Pharaoh. I told myself just to ignore it, to push it away and focus on other things: college, an apartment, trying to survive every weekend, find a job. But Yuugi was so close to me every day, and you were also there… I couldn’t hold back much longer, I couldn’t resist… so I confessed to him. I started it all. I’m grateful that you didn’t throw me out of the house after everything that has happened, but I think it’s for the better if I were to leave.”

After his waterfall of words, he took another deep breath and looked at Atemu, his face open and honest. 

“I would never tell you to leave,” Atemu finally said. “You have no other living accommodation yet, so you are welcome to stay here. You are my friend, Jounouchi-kun.”

“Thank you,” he said, genuinely touched. 

“I admit that what Yuugi told me, really shook my world,” Atemu continued. “I did not know that he was harboring these feelings. Maybe it was my fault, that I did not pay enough attention to him, as busy as I was with my upcoming trip to the United States and my work at the Game Shop.”

“There’s absolutely no reason for _you_ to feel guilty,” Jounouchi said, “No way!” He was burning with desire to get up and to put his arms around Atemu. “I wish there was a way I could show you that I love you. I know it’s hard to believe that one person could be in love with two people… but believe me, it’s true. I understand if you don’t feel the same,” he added, “it’s extremely personal, of course. I don’t want to put any pressure you, and neither does Yuugi. I’m not going to ask of you to think about it or give me a chance. I’m not here to guilt-trip you. Whatever you’re feeling, it has to come from the heart. That’s all I have to say about it. I love you so much, Atemu, but I respect you even more.”

Jounouchi tried to read his face, but he couldn’t make much out of his expression. It took a while before Atemu answered.

“I love and respect you too,” he finally said. “But you are not the other half of my soul, and I will not love you as a life partner.”

“I understand. Thank you.” Jounouchi got up from the bed. The pain was overwhelming, but that was the risk of falling in love. He had taken a big chance as to confess his feelings for Yuugi; his best friend could’ve rejected him too. The risk of falling in love, the price of falling in love. Feeling nauseous, he left the bedroom. Yuugi was waiting downstairs and by the look on his face, he had overheard Atemu’s last words. He offered his hand to Jounouchi, who took it. Silently, they retreated into the kitchen and just sat there, both lost in their own thoughts.

\--------------------------------------


	5. Chapter 5

For the next couple of weeks, not much changed in the Mutou household. There was some added stress for Jounouchi as he heard that his father had managed to find an apartment in a fairly upscale neighborhood, apparently being helped out by friends.

“I don’t know how,” he raged, “but that… boozer gets everything thrown into his lap! An abusive asshole, and everyone hurries to help him! He doesn’t deserve it!”

“Try to look at it in a positive way, Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi tried to calm him down. “He’s not your responsibility anymore. He’s not your problem anymore. You’ve paid his bills and you’ve done more than enough for him. Let his friends take care of him, if they want to do so. They’ll soon get tired of his abuse. They might feel genuinely sorry for him... until their patience runs out. Don’t get too worked up about your father. Focus on your own life, your own future.”

Jounouchi slumped in his seat. “I want my future to be with you,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “The both of you.”

“I know. I really wish it could be that way, a happy end for all three of us,” Yuugi said. He stared at his hands. He would love to take Jounouchi in his arms and comfort him, but ever since their unfortunate moment of weakness in which they had kissed, they had kept their distance. He was at a loss at what he should do. He had tried to talk to Atemu once more, but the former Pharaoh had gotten angry and upset. Atemu clearly didn’t want to talk about it, not now, not for a long time to come, and in the meantime there was very little intimacy between him and Yuugi, not even the slightest hug or kiss. That worried him a lot. If he couldn’t even get his partner to talk, what road was their relationship going to take? What was going to happen to them? 

He was torn between taking the initiative and allowing Atemu more time; but in both cases, he didn’t know how much longer he had to wait. He was so used to being touched one way or the other: a hug, a kiss, a hand on his shoulder, a caress along his cheek… it drove him crazy that Atemu didn’t touch him. He refused to believe that it could be a permanent situation and Jounouchi took all the blame upon himself, fearing that he not only had lost his friendship with Atemu, but also had destroyed the relationship between his two best friends. The guilt was eating him alive, and Yuugi also felt a lot of guilt. He didn’t know how to change it. 

On top of refusing to talk, Atemu worked day and night. If he wasn’t at the Game Shop, he was at KaibaCorp.. He gave demonstrations and played Duel Monsters, challenged by international duelists online and offline. If it were up to Kaiba, he’d send him all over the world to promote the game. Yuugi knew why Atemu declined to travel; he was probably afraid of a repetition of the kiss. Atemu wasn’t checking up on Yuugi constantly nor dug through his phone or followed him around all the time, but his unconditional faith and trust had been damaged, and that was painful. 

Yuugi was glad that Atemu still trusted him enough to not feel the need to eye him with constant suspicion, and made sure not to give him any reason to. He and Jounouchi had decided to focus on the last month of their academic year. With summer holiday coming up, he had planned to help out in the Game Shop, which would leave Atemu with more free time, and more opportunities to talk things over. But this current silence was so hard to take and Yuugi feared he’d have no other choice but to force the entire situation, as it was taking a toll on everyone. This couldn’t go on much longer. He and Jounouchi were growing desperate to show Atemu that they loved him and that they wanted to be with him.

\----------------------------------------------

The family was having dinner and Sugoroku was talking about a specific customer who liked to engage in discussion about modern gaming consoles versus old school board games. Jounouchi commented every now and then and sometimes Yuugi’s mother would pipe up, but Atemu sat at the end of the table, eating slow and disinterested. Yuugi sat opposite of him and couldn’t stand seeing him mush his food like this. He reached for him and put his fingers on his wrist, tapping lightly.

“You’re tired, mou hitori no boku,” Yuugi said. “I can see it. You always fall silent when you’re tired. You’ve worked so hard. Let me run a nice, hot bath for you, all right?”

“Maybe a shower,” Atemu said hesitantly. 

“And go to bed early,” Yuugi’s mother suggested. “You’re looking a bit pale lately, and I wouldn’t like it if you got sick again.” 

“Yes, I will go to bed early,” Atemu confirmed. 

“Go upstairs, I’ll bring you towels.” Yuugi watched as Atemu left the kitchen. Everyone had finished their meal by now and Yuugi’s mother asked if Jounouchi could help her moving one of her cabinets, so that left Yuugi alone with his grandfather. Sugoroku comfortably reclined in his seat while Yuugi bustled about, collecting the dirty dishes and putting them in the sink.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” The elderly man usually wasn’t this brusque, and he took Yuugi so much by surprise that he dropped one of the bowls, right on top of the other dishes in the sink, chipping the porcelain.

“Jii-chan! What are you talking about?” He fished the damaged bowl from the sink. Sugoroku shook his head. 

“I’m not a fool, Yuugi. You avoided the question long enough.”

A little irritated, he put the bowl to the side. “Jii-chan, I’m _not_ going to discuss my relationship problems with you.”

“So it’s something between you and Atemu,” Sugoroku concluded. “I thought as such. You’re avoiding each other, aren’t you?”

“Like I said, I’m not going to discuss my relationship problems with you, jii-chan.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” He admitted defeat. “I’m just an old man, and what do I know about relationships? I was married to your grandmother until her death, and I never felt the need to remarry.”

“That’s because you haven’t met the right person,” Yuugi said. “All you did was work, jii-chan. You never did your best to meet someone new.”

Sugoroku scratched his beard. “You’re right about that, too. But you know, I never did my best because I knew there was no woman in the world who could hold a candle to your grandmother. I simply didn’t try. What we had together… just like you and Atemu. There’s just no one else in the world who could take your or his place.”

Yuugi cringed, his mind desperately searching for a good excuse to leave the kitchen.

“With that said, every relationship has its ups and downs. I guess that all I’m trying to say, is that you can always come to me if you want to talk about it, Yuugi.”

“I know, jii-chan.” He suddenly remembered something. “I promised Atemu to bring him towels,” he said, “I’ll be back soon!” He darted out of the kitchen as if he was chased by a mythical creature from hell.

\--------------------------

The previous owner of the building that housed the Mutou family and the Game Shop, had installed a modest bathroom adjacent to Yuugi’s bedroom in the attic. It held a small shower stall and Yuugi heard the water running as soon as he entered.

“I brought you towels, mou hitori no boku,” he said. He didn’t really expect an answer and wasn’t surprised when he didn’t receive one. He left the towels on the bathroom cabinet and checked the room for dirty laundry. His desk was a mess and he had left his laptop running. He tsk-ed at himself for being so shoddy. Yuugi arranged his text books in a neat pile, discarded what he didn’t need and turned the laptop off. 

He turned on the heater, so Atemu wouldn’t feel cold when he emerged from his shower. Picking up the garbage bin to dispose of a multitude of candy wrappers, Yuugi shoved all the trash into the bin. He was a little embarrassed at the amount of empty wrappers; it was so tempting to snack while working on programs and coding. He noticed that the shower had stopped running. Atemu stepped out of the bathroom, one towel wrapped around his loins and another towel in his hands, which he used to dry his hair.

“Not so rough,” Yuugi admonished him gently and took the towel from him. “You’ll damage your hair like that.” He moved the towel over Atemu’s hand, sliding over the multicolored strands. “Feels good, right? All clean and cozy.”

Atemu didn’t respond, but his body language told Yuugi more than enough. He was standing still and enjoying the personal attention, a smile ghosting around his lips. Yuugi discarded the towel and picked up another one, much larger and extremely soft. He draped it around Atemu’s shoulders and started to dry him off. 

“I understand why Jounouchi-kun loves you so much,” Atemu suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Yuugi hadn’t expected him to start talking about this topic. He continued with the towel, patting him dry all over. “What do you mean, mou hitori no boku?”

Atemu turned his head towards him. “It is because you have so much love to give,” he said, but he didn’t look happy. “You care so much for others. Your love and kindness is what draws everyone to you.”

“No, mou hitori no boku, it’s not like that.”

“You know him for so long, longer than you have known me,” Atemu ignored his reply. “So it is logical for you to develop these feelings for him.” He shivered, despite the warmth in the room and the large towel around his body.

“It doesn’t work that way, at least not for me,” Yuugi said. He was glad that Atemu was talking, even if he chose a rather odd moment to do so. “I know it must sound weird, offensive even, when your partner tells you he’s fallen in love with another person… and wants him to add to the already existing relationship. It’s not about not loving you enough… it’s about sharing that love with you.”

Atemu craned his neck a little. “How would you feel if I suddenly introduced… just to name an example… Kaiba into our relationship?”

He couldn’t help himself, Yuugi snickered at the thought of Kaiba and anything romantic. He covered it up quickly by pressing a kiss to Atemu’s shoulder blade. “I immediately admit that I… we didn’t go about it the right way,” he said. “I overwhelmed you and didn’t give you much room to process it. I’m so sorry, mou hitori no boku. To answer your question, yes, I would be upset if you were to tell me that there was another person you loved. I’d feel overwhelmed too.”

“I just keep wondering why my love is not enough for you.”

Yuugi stepped around Atemu and draped the oversized towel around him. He leaned a little into him, relieved when the former Pharaoh didn’t pull away when he put a chaste kiss to his lips. 

“I wish you wouldn’t think that way, because it’s not true,” Yuugi said. “Your love is all that matters to me. You’re the other half of my soul, my life and my world wouldn’t be complete without you.”

“And Jounouchi-kun… is he an added bonus?”

He brought up his hand and tucked a slightly damp strand behind Atemu’s ear. “I love him. I love both of you. He loves both of us. I know I’m repeating myself, but I don’t know how to explain it. It’s not about who loves me more or who I love more, or who’s superior… I don’t want us to fight. I want us to be happy and in love with each other.”

Moving his hands, he used the towel to dry off Atemu’s torso and his arms, making sure not to skip a single spot.

“Aibou,” Atemu spoke up. “You always take such good care of me.”

“I want to,” Yuugi said. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the familiar moniker. “You deserve the best.”

Atemu inclined his head a little and Yuugi took the opportunity to kiss him. Not a mere brushing of their lips, a full-blown kiss, and relief washed over him again when Atemu returned the gesture. Yuugi dumped the towel on the floor as he slid his arms around Atemu, his body dry and warm, scenting like sandalwood. Yuugi inhaled the luscious scent and pressed his lips on Atemu’s neck, knowing it was one of his most sensitive spots.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too.” Atemu’s answer came without hesitation. Finally, he draped his arms loosely around Yuugi’s neck, fingers fondling the rim of his shirt. Yuugi shivered from the touch, a delicious sense of pleasure traveled down his spine. He pressed himself a little closer, his hands on Atemu’s hips. Slow, prolonged kisses, so wonderful and intimate, he couldn’t get enough.

“Mou hitori no boku...” He was delighted at Atemu’s physical response. He had craved his touch, he had longed for his kisses so much, that it was hard to keep himself under control. He continued to touch him, hands on his hips, just above the rim of the towel. He knew that Atemu was tired, his reactions were a bit sluggish, but he was so happy that he reacted at all, that he responded and that he loved him. They continued to kiss, slower, but no less intense. A slight draft told Yuugi that the door opened and Jounouchi came in. Yuugi didn’t wonder why he was here, nor did he look at him; he wasn’t ignoring his friend, he simply accepted that he was here. Atemu didn’t seem to notice that Jounouchi was in the room, as he focused on Yuugi. 

“Aibou,” he said, eyes half-lidded. Yuugi nipped at his lips. Jounouchi approached them, picking up a towel from the stack and gently draped it around Atemu’s shoulders, to make him aware of his presence.

“Jounouchi-kun..?” Atemu’s voice held a little confusion to it, but he didn’t tell him to leave.

“I wanted to check up on you,” Jounouchi said and patted his skin with the towel, even though he was already dry. “I’m glad to see you so relaxed.”

“It was nice,” Atemu answered, referring to the shower. “I did not realize how tired I was.” 

“Kaiba’s working you to the bone,” Jounouchi said, without the usual vehemence in his voice when talking about the CEO. “Does he ever think of giving you some time off?”

They all knew the reason why Atemu had been working so much as of late, but nobody mentioned it. 

“I was thinking…” Atemu tilted his head just a little again, and Yuugi pressed a soft kiss to his jaw line. His breathing became slightly heavier. “…to take a week off…”

“That would be wonderful,” Yuugi said, in all earnest. “You could rest up and do something you’d like to do.”

“But the Game Shop…”

“We’re not talking about work.” Yuugi cut him short without being rude, and kissed him again for good measure. “Not now,” he whispered against his skin, taking pleasure in Atemu’s reaction; he tightened his grip on Yuugi as a sensual shudder traveled through him. Jounouchi, standing behind him, slipped his fingers under the towel, touching his bare skin. He held his breath, looking over Atemu’s shoulder to search out and gauge Yuugi’s response. He made eye-contact with him, and they both exchanged a look of hope and passion. 

Jounouchi closed his eyes and removed the offensive towel, hampering him from touching Atemu freely. He took the next step, a bold move that he had dreamed of for a long time, and pressed a chaste kiss on Atemu’s shoulder. His kiss was confident, but not intrusive. As Atemu craned his neck, Jounouchi took it as an invitation to kiss him there, just below his ear. The former Pharaoh shuddered again and gasped loud when Yuugi sneakily kissed him on the other side of his neck, hitting his sensitive spot with twice the sensations. Atemu’s knees buckled, and both Jounouchi and Yuugi put their arms around him to keep him stable, Jounouchi cradling him close. After a moment, Yuugi moved his hands down to take Atemu’s hands into his, his lips never leaving his skin, breathing warmly against him. Very, very gently he tugged at his hands, fingers entwined, and he pulled just a little, trying to get Atemu to move. The bed was a couple of steps away, but Yuugi didn’t want to push or to enforce; it was about comfort and care. Atemu took a step forward, his eyes still half-lidded, lips slightly parted, as if he was in a trance. Jounouchi picked up on Yuugi’s intention infallibly and kept his arms around Atemu, moving along with him.

“Please lie down, mou hitori no boku,” Yuugi encouraged him. “Let us take care of you.”

\--------------------------------------


	6. Chapter 6

“Aibou… Jounouchi-kun…” It was hard to make out his expression, but as Atemu didn’t rebuke Jounouchi’s ministrations, it encouraged the latter to continue. His hands were on Atemu’s arms, firmly stroking the supple muscles. Atemu leaned a little back and Jounouchi snaked his arm around his waist, fingers splayed against his abdomen. Very gently and very slowly, he moved Atemu towards the bed. Yuugi pressed a quick kiss to Atemu’s cheek, then to Jounouchi’s, a mere brushing of his lips before he slipped away. Jounouchi lost sight of him, but he was too focused on Atemu, laying him down on the bed, not letting go of him for one second, his hands stroking and caressing.

“How can anyone be this beautiful,” he softly murmured, “so much a true Pharaoh.”

“You are thinking too highly of me,” Atemu murmured in return.

Jounouchi placed a kiss just below his jaw line. “I’m not,” he whispered, more gentle than he had ever been. “I want to be with you, Atemu.”

He didn’t receive an outright answer except for another unintelligible murmur, so Jounouchi took it as a ‘yes’. He didn’t do anything yet but to caress and stroke Atemu’s upper body, staying away from the towel clinging to his hips. Jounouchi brushed his lips lightly past Atemu’s, his confidence increasing and his heart skipping a beat when the other responded, parting his lips in return. He immediately seized the opportunity, still gentle and tentative, but upping the pressure just a little. His fingers traced the outline of Atemu’s face; every movement soft and examining, as he still couldn’t believe that the former Pharaoh allowed him to touch him. 

“I want to be with you,” Jounouchi repeated. “I want to wake up in the morning and see you smile. I want to hold your hand when you’re tired or sad. I want to watch a movie with you. I want to have breakfast with you.” He didn’t care if it came out as a plea. He was being honest, opening up his heart. The mattress shifted under extra weight; Yuugi climbed back up on the bed again. Just like Jounouchi, he was still fully clothed. It wasn’t about getting undressed quickly and hop between the sheets. Yuugi had dimmed the lights in the bedroom and he regretted that he hadn’t any candles upstairs, to add to the atmosphere. He had heard Jounouchi’s words, and smiled at Atemu.

“Mou hitori no boku, how are you feeling?”

“I am fine,” Atemu answered, sounding drowsy. Yuugi leaned into him and kissed him.

“I have massage oil right here,” he said, shaking the bottle in his hand lightly. “We will give you a nice massage. Does that sound good to you?” He kissed him again. “If there’s anything you don’t like or makes you feel uncomfortable, just say it. If you tell us to stop, we’ll stop immediately.”

“Immediately indeed,” Jounouchi agreed. He watched as Yuugi opened the bottle and poured a dollop of the heavenly fragrant oil on his hand. Yuugi rubbed the oil between his hands to warm it up. He placed his hands on Atemu’s upper right arm, performing long, gentle strokes.

“Ah, delicious,” Atemu said. “I thought my arms were falling off this week.”

“Carrying a Duel Disk around all the time can be rather fatiguing,” Yuugi spoke out of experience. Jounouchi had picked up the bottle and helped himself to some of the product, mimicking his movement. Now he was repeating the long strokes on Atemu’s left arm, exactly like Yuugi did. “Knowing Kaiba, he’ll be working you to the bone.”

“He was talking about Battle City 2.0. He wanted to invite international duelists, so he could showcase his latest virtual reality system.”

“Typically Kaiba,” Jounouchi said, without any vehemence. “What about national duelists?”

“Yes, they are to be invited as well, of course. I did not catch the entire scope of his plans, though. I usually tune out as soon as he starts talking about his dragons.”

Yuugi snickered. He worked on Atemu’s lower arm, moving towards his hand and fingers. “I’m very happy that you still love dueling, mou hitori no boku, and that you get to play as much as you want.”

“I really enjoy the game.” Atemu’s lips were turned up in a continuous smile, enjoying the hands on his body. Yuugi gently put his arm down again, next to his side, and moved on to his chest. Jounouchi meticulously copied Yuugi’s gestures. Neither one of them was a professional masseur, but it was about personal attention and creating a comfortable, cozy atmosphere, all focused on Atemu’s well-being and pleasure. Yuugi couldn’t help himself, leaning into his Pharaoh every now and then to kiss him, and Jounouchi copied that gesture as well, relieved and excited that Atemu responded to him, not rebuked him. Yuugi moved his hands to Atemu’s right leg and Jounouchi continued with his left leg.

“This is really a very nice scent,” Jounouchi said, keeping his voice low.

“It is, isn’t it? I can’t remember where I bought it,” Yuugi answered. “I never got around using it, but this seemed like a good moment to bring it out. It has vanilla, almond and honey components, and it matches exquisitely with the sandalwood scented products we generally use.”

“Very nice,” Jounouchi repeated, concentrating on the movements, his hands touching and massaging Atemu’s skin. He was mesmerized, still in disbelief that he hadn’t been send away, that Atemu wasn’t objecting to his touch. Almost reverent, he kept working in the oil, carefully mimicking Yuugi. After a while, Yuugi whispered into Atemu’s ear: “Turn over, mou hitori no boku.”

Dutifully, Atemu turned over onto his stomach and the towel shifted with the movement. Yuugi removed the piece of fabric and threw it on the floor. The temperature in the room was comfortably warm, still a light shudder went through Atemu. Yuugi replenished the lotion in his hands to warm it up. He put his hands on Atemu’s shoulders and kissed him at the nape of his neck. “How do you feel?”

“Sleepy,” Atemu answered.

“Good.” Yuugi smiled against his skin. “Don’t fight it. If you want to sleep, go to sleep. We’ll take care of you.”

“I know.” Atemu’s words were muffled by the pillow, but both Jounouchi and Yuugi had heard it. They exchanged a hopeful look and continued with the massage. Exchanging a soft-spoken comment every so often, they massaged his shoulders and back, traveling lower and lower. Yuugi noticed that Jounouchi swallowed firmly and his breathing was just a little erratic. After replenishing the oil and stroking Atemu’s shoulders, back and sides, his fingers were close, so very close to a more intimate area… Yuugi suddenly skipped to Atemu’s feet and lower leg, and Jounouchi heaved a sigh of relief and perhaps a little disappointment. Yuugi maintained a neutral expression on his face. 

He didn’t want to rush things, let alone force anyone into anything they didn’t want. As far as he was concerned, this was still a massage - but this was the first time that Jounouchi saw Atemu naked, and it was a vulnerable, fragile moment. Yuugi worked upwards, massaging Atemu’s thigh and this time, he moved his hand over his buttock. Jounouchi wanted to follow his example, but hesitated. It was too intimate at the moment, he didn’t dare. Yuugi took his hand and put it pontifically on the Pharaoh’s left buttock. Jounouchi colored a deep shade of red, but he didn’t take his hand away. A soft moan escaped Atemu to boot. 

Yuugi shifted his position, leaning into Atemu once more, his fingers darting playfully all over. He lowered his voice to a husky tone: “Would you like us to… take very special care of you, mou hitori no boku?”

Atemu craned his neck. His eyes were dark, half-lidded, smoldering. He shifted his position so he could reach for Yuugi and lazily drape an arm over his shoulder. His hand slid over Yuugi’s back, his fingers curling at the hem of his shirt. Yuugi nuzzled him. “Jounouchi-kun is here too,” he reminded him. 

“I know,” he said. Yuugi kissed him again.

“Is it all right with you?”

“Hm-mm.” It wasn’t a ‘yes’ but it wasn’t a ‘no’ either, and Yuugi was slightly conflicted; should he press for a clear answer or not? It was too important to let it slide, but on the other hand… judging from the blissful, intense look on Atemu’s face, his soft gasps at the sheer intensity of the massage and the touches all over his body, Yuugi was sure that he agreed. Besides, if he would say ‘no’ later on, they could still stop just like that, right? He moved his hand to cup Atemu’s face. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” The former Pharaoh tugged at Yuugi’s shirt. Yuugi took the offensive garment off and tossed it over Jounouchi’s shoulder where it landed on the floor, next to the earlier discarded towel. Atemu’s fingers trailed over his chest, his caresses extremely light. Yuugi didn’t mind; the passion wasn’t any less and this moment was meant for Atemu anyway, entirely focused on his joy and pleasure. Jounouchi subconsciously felt the same; he didn’t undress himself, he just kept touching and stroking Atemu, his fingers darting over his body in an exploring manner, examining every inch. 

Many more kisses followed, hands everywhere, the sensual scent of the lotion tantalizing. Yuugi pressed kisses all over Atemu, reveling in his physical response, as well as his own. He interrupted his kissing to attract Jounouchi’s attention, and gestured at him to take off his shirt too. A slight insecurity was visible in Jounouchi’s eyes, but Yuugi smiled reassuringly at him. Trembling every so slightly, Jounouchi discarded his shirt and looked at Yuugi again, as if searching out his approval. He responded by putting his hand on Jounouchi’s bare chest, scratching his skin very lightly. He longed to give the same attention to him, but Jounouchi understood; tonight was for Atemu. 

The intensity of the ministrations and kisses increased with every passing minute. Only gasps and moans were heard and every now and then a gentle whisper of a name, uttered in the utmost pleasure. Yuugi removed the rest of his clothes and wordlessly, invited Jounouchi to do the same. He snuggled up closer to Atemu, his hand between his legs, kneading his inner thighs. Pressing kisses to his neck, Yuugi’s other hand was on Atemu’s chest, fingers darting and dabbing. They had always been very laid-back about who should top or not; it was usually Atemu who took the initiative as he enjoyed being the dominant one, with Yuugi being the receiving one, much to his own pleasure. They switched positions as much or as little as they desired, depending on the mood and the intensity of their lovemaking. 

For now, Yuugi took the lead, while Jounouchi watched, breathlessly. Determined, Yuugi moved Atemu’s legs apart and as he looked up, he noticed Jounouchi’s intense stare. Straightening himself just a little, Yuugi kissed him on the lips. “Are you all right?” he softly asked.

“Yes,” Jounouchi answered, his voice thick. “I… I want to watch you. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Yuugi said, kissing him again. He moved in-between Atemu’s legs and asked him: “Is that all right with you too, mou hitori no boku?”

“Mm,” Atemu answered, his eyes closed. He was mentally preparing himself, Yuugi knew the reactions and signs of his partner all too well. He loved the intimacy of the moment, that total, undeniable faith and trust in each other. The massage lotion he used before wasn’t suitable as a lubricant, so Yuugi reached for the bedside table, retrieving another small bottle. Atemu pawed at him, fingers running gently over his skin. Yuugi positioned himself, opened the bottle and used the product on himself. When he was done, he put his hands on Atemu’s hips and pulled him closer. He took his time; why hurry? This moment was too special and too important to rush. He could hear Jounouchi’s breathing becoming erratic and out of curiosity, he spared a moment to look at him, enjoying the rapt fascination he was expressing. 

“I never thought that this would happen,” Jounouchi whispered. He was so enraptured that he barely noticed Yuugi pecking him on the cheek.

“It’s truly something beautiful, Jounouchi-kun,” he said, before turning back to Atemu and showering him with butterfly-light kisses. “I love you.” He started to push himself in, again taking his time. Inch by inch, he guided himself in, his own heartbeat rapidly increasing, the sensations overwhelming him. A deep moan slipped past his lips and suddenly, Jounouchi put his arms around him as if he was stabilizing Yuugi, his warm embrace adding even more heat to the experience.

“You’re both so beautiful,” Jounouchi whispered into his ear, sending delightful shivers down his spine. “Please…”

Yuugi tilted his head to kiss him, allowing Atemu to get adjusted before he finally started to move. Atemu arched his back, lifting up his hips a little and a deep, throaty moan escaped him. While keeping his hand on Yuugi’s back, Jounouchi turned away just a little from him to focus back on Atemu, using his other hand to stroke his hair, his fingers sifting through the strands and dipping lower, caressing the contours of his face. Atemu leaned into his touch, breathing rapidly, surrendering to the sensations running through him, submitting to and reveling in all the attention he received. 

Yuugi continued his pace, every now and then pressing a kiss to Jounouchi’s upper arm, shoulder or neck, to which he would react and return the kiss, their lips not merely brushing anymore, but making full contact, passionately, hungrily. Yuugi tugged at the waistband of Jounouchi’s pants. Despite his earlier gesture that Jounouchi could take off his clothes, he had only discarded his shirt. Maybe he was hesitant, maybe he didn’t dare to fully enjoy the moment… whatever his reason, Yuugi left the decision to Jounouchi. He didn’t want to break this mesmerizing trance between the three of them, completely engrossed with each other and more so, with Atemu. 

All their attention was on the former Pharaoh and he reveled in it, basked in it, the increasing sensations of them paying homage to his body and he shivered and shuddered with pleasure. He had always been a quite silent lover, but Yuugi knew him better than anyone and his gasps and moans were a perfect indication of how he felt and how he experienced all of this. It was rare for Atemu to be laid-back and not be very active or participative when making love, it was a pleasant surprise to Yuugi that he was enjoying so much what was given to him, taking it in as best as he could. His facial expression was one of pure pleasure, no sign of pain or discomfort, and that was what counted most. Yuugi didn’t mind putting his own desires and wishes on a backburner, especially now. From the corner of his eye he could see Jounouchi taking the rest of his clothes off and that made him happy, knowing that the other felt comfortable enough with this unique situation to fully show himself, no more boundaries. 

His own body reacted sharply to the overwhelming sensations. Jounouchi resumed his earlier position, one hand on Yuugi’s back and his other hand on Atemu’s chest, and he turned his head towards Yuugi to kiss him. It felt so good, it was so intense and loving, and he was unable to hold himself back, no matter how hard he tried. Yuugi wanted to pull out at first, but it was already too late. He lost himself in the kiss and allowed the sensations to wash over him, enjoying his release as his body shook and shuddered. Jounouchi’s arm was around him, holding him steady and he leaned against him as the intensity of his orgasm traveled through him. Yuugi breathed heavily, his chest heaving. He regretted not lasting longer, but his body simply hadn’t been able to resist the passion, the lust, the need. 

Not for one second, Jounouchi broke up his contact with Atemu, his hand touching him, stroking him all over. He still had his eyes closed, his breathing erratic and his hands tugging at the bed sheets. Jounouchi kept his arm firmly around Yuugi and twisted his upper body to kiss Atemu, his lips close to his ear to whisper to him; soft, gentle words of comfort. Very gently, Yuugi withdrew from Atemu. He noticed immediately that Atemu hadn’t had his release yet and neither had Jounouchi, making him feel incredibly selfish. How could he have been so egoistic to think of his pleasure only? But it wasn’t like that. Nobody commented, nobody blamed him. In fact, Atemu propped himself up on one elbow and reached for him. Yuugi immediately responded by wrapping his arms around Atemu and lifting him up. He supported himself by resting in Yuugi’s arms, like a limp rag doll. Yuugi cuddled him closer and found himself whispering soothing words, loving words, into Atemu’s ear.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

The look of satisfaction on Atemu’s face spoke volumes. “Aibou,” was all that he said, his voice hoarse. 

“I want you to feel the same as me,” Yuugi whispered. Jounouchi had moved behind Atemu, his hands stroking his sides. “I want you to be fully satisfied. I want you to come.”

“Aibou,” Atemu repeated, his eyes half-lidded. He leaned against Yuugi, his head on his shoulder, his arms loosely around him, his breathing still erratic. Yuugi showered him with butterfly-light kisses, his hands in his hair, playing with the strands. Jounouchi, hesitant, put his hands on Atemu’s hips. He pressed a kiss on his shoulder as he pressed himself against him. Yuugi watched his every move, his eyes clouded with lust and pleasure. He wanted to see, he wanted to feel how the other would take Atemu; the mere thought send strong, lustful sensations all over him again. 

“Jounouchi-kun,” he said, unable to keep the tremble out of his voice. Jounouchi positioned himself, slightly hesitant, affected by the intensity of the moment. His dream was coming true, right here, right now; he didn’t want to rush, afraid to ruin the moment, but the lust and desire was so overpowering that it was hard to hold back. Jounouchi started to push himself in. Yuugi hadn’t seen him use the lubricant, but he trusted Jounouchi unconditionally and kept watching, almost with child-like curiosity. Atemu hung in Yuugi’s arms, his body bracing itself for the new intrusion and a deep, guttural moan escaped him. He tensed up a little, his arms reflexively tightening around Yuugi.

“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Jounouchi said softly to no one in particular. He eased himself in, slowly but surely, until he was completely buried. His breathing was inaudible, he almost looked like he was about to faint; he needed to gather his bearings before he could even think of moving. Shivering, Jounouchi didn’t maneuver at all, overcome with the heat of the moment. Yuugi used his free hand to touch Jounouchi’s neck, fingers trailing over his skin.

“Please,” he said. Jounouchi nodded and swallowed, having snapped out of his momentarily trance. With more confidence, he increased his grip on Atemu’s hips and started his pace. Wedged between Jounouchi and Yuugi, Atemu moved along, moaning against Yuugi’s shoulder, smothering his throatily gasps and pants. Jounouchi quickened his pace immediately, spurred on by the rapidly increasing sensations, the heat, the lust, the passion. Yuugi enjoyed watching both his lovers’ reactions; he had a magnificent view on their interaction and as he lacked any feeling of jealousy, he was simply happy that Jounouchi experienced the same emotions. He touched him wherever he could reach him, but he made sure to keep one hand in Atemu’s hair, knowing that he enjoyed being petted there. 

Jounouchi kissed Atemu on the shoulders and neck while he kept his hands on his hips, pulling him closer as he pushed into him. He went about a firm pace, his heartbeat going up and his breathing spiraling out of control. This was a complete sensory overload and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold on. Jounouchi was determined however, to not reach his climax before Atemu, he wanted him to feel these sensations first, he deserved it. Atemu murmured something unintelligible against Yuugi’s shoulder.

“Yes, mou hitori no boku,” he said. “Let it go. No more tension, no more stress. Give into your release. It’s all right. Let it go.” He continued to encourage him and he dipped with his hand lower between them. He knew that it wouldn’t take much longer for Jounouchi, and he had a good idea about what he was thinking. A little manual stimulation was all that was needed and Atemu pushed back against Jounouchi, eliciting an excited gasp from him. He bucked his hips, uncontrollably, shaking and shuddering, smothering his cry against Yuugi’s shoulder as he came. Yuugi held him, cradled him, smiling. It was such a relief, a release in more ways than one, and all of the tension flowed out of Atemu. 

He sagged into Yuugi’s arms, too exhausted and too overcome to keep himself upright. Jounouchi didn’t need more than another few thrusts to send himself over the edge as well; he held onto Atemu, his arms around him for the last intense thrust, then releasing himself deep within him, smothering his own moans with a kiss on the crook of his neck. As Jounouchi tried to control his breathing again, he leaned against Atemu who leaned against Yuugi, who struggled to keep up the weight, Jounouchi being much taller and heavier. He noticed and send him an apologetic smile. He straightened himself and with his arms around Atemu, he pressed a kiss to his neck, suckling on his skin, drawing out another moan. Yuugi rubbed Atemu’s back. The former Pharaoh lied limp in their arms, weak as a kitten, completely spend. Yuugi raked his hand through Atemu’s hair and caressed his face, touching him all over. Jounouchi did the same, holding and stroking him. 

“That was so good, mou hitori no boku,” Yuugi said, nuzzling him. He wasn’t surprised at all that he didn’t receive an answer. He could see that Atemu had difficulties staying awake, especially after his release. Yuugi nipped at his lips. “Rest now, my Pharaoh. You need it.”  
Atemu made a half-hearted movement with his arm. Yuugi wasn’t sure what he was trying to do, perhaps he tried to hold on, but he had no energy left and he dropped his arm next to his side. Jounouchi lied him down on the bed again, very gently.

“Don’t worry, we’ll clean up,” he said, mourning the loss of their earlier intimacy. Atemu couldn’t even muster up the willpower to nod, his eyes closed. He was asleep before Jounouchi withdrew his hand, a last gentle caress of his face. Only then, Yuugi left the bed to gather clean towels and wiped away everything that had been spilled. Jounouchi helped him to get Atemu dressed into underwear and a set of dark blue pajamas. They tucked him into bed; the former Pharaoh didn’t make a sound, not even a snore. 

“He must be in some kind of coma,” Jounouchi quipped. Yuugi discarded the towels in the hamper and returned his friend’s grin.

“He was so tired. He worked so hard and all that tension…” Yuugi kept his voice low, but Atemu probably wouldn’t have woken up if a big march band was playing next to the bed. Jounouchi couldn’t help it; fondly, he tucked a few wayward strands of hair behind Atemu’s ear.

“There was so much I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to make love to him for hours. It was over so soon.”

“I know.” Yuugi joined him on the bed. “I wish I had lasted longer too, but we were so…”

“Horny,” Jounouchi provided.

“Passionate,” Yuugi corrected him and didn’t bother to hide his amusement. Jounouchi was still playing with Atemu’s hair.

“Where do we go from here?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” Yuugi answered, truthfully. “I really don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

“At least this is something I will never forget,” Jounouchi said. “It was such a wonderful experience. Not just the sex… but the trust, the comfort, the sensuality. It was so wonderful to see the two of you, and how you held on to each other. That’s something I doubt I’ll ever achieve.”

“Every relationship is different, Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi said. “Even if we’re going to stay together, with the three of us… your relationship with Atemu is going to be different than mine, and my relationship with you is going to be different than his…” He didn’t want to think about it, not now, when the mood was still so pleasant and warm. In the back of his mind, he remembered that he had vaguely promised to return to his grandfather, but he didn’t know why and it wasn’t that important. “Why don’t we go to bed,” he suggested, “and catch some sleep. Don’t go to the guest room Jounouchi-kun, stay here. The bed’s large enough.”

Jounouchi nestled himself on Atemu’s left side, whereas Yuugi took right left side, curling up against him. Yuugi was the last one to fall asleep. He hadn’t lied to Jounouchi. He really didn’t know what tomorrow would bring… and if he was holding onto hope or a delusion that everything was going to be all right.

\--------------------------------------


	7. Chapter 7

When Yuugi woke up, he was delighted to find he was being held; he automatically assumed that Atemu had draped his arm around him as usual. It had been a while; since Yuugi had confessed to kissing Jounouchi, Atemu had withheld this intimate gesture which he used to do every night. As Yuugi woke up further, he realized that it wasn’t Atemu’s arm. A bit confused, he turned his head to look over his shoulder. A big smile spread from ear to ear; of course it was Jounouchi, deep asleep. Yuugi yawned. What day was it? Oh yeah, Friday. He hadn’t set the alarm clock as the sensei for today’s classes had cancelled, so they didn’t need to go to college. Wonderful, he could take it easy and study for this year’s finals, without having to worry about more projects! 

Yuugi wasn’t worried that Atemu wasn’t in bed. He was an early riser and Friday was a ‘Kaiba day’ as he called it. The CEO was demanding more and more of Atemu’s attention, and not only for promotional work or Duel Monsters tournaments, but also for his Solid Vision reality system and testing it out. Yuugi realized that Sugoroku was working at the Game Shop and he immediately decided to help out his grandfather. It was difficult for the elderly man to stand an entire day on his feet and if Atemu was going to work for Kaiba more and more, perhaps they should discuss hiring help for the Shop. Behind Yuugi, Jounouchi was waking up. He grumbled and grunted a little, until he blearily opened his eyes.

“Good morning, Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi said.

“Goo’ mornin’,” he said, only just awake. He didn’t realize he had draped his arm over Yuugi and smacked his lips. “Did I snore?”

“I don’t know,” Yuugi answered. “To be honest, I slept like a log! I didn’t hear a thing.”

Jounouchi opened his eyes further and looked around. “I see our Pharaoh has already left?”

“Yes, he always gets up very early, so don’t worry about it.” As he turned his face towards Jounouchi, he scooted a little closer for a morning kiss. 

“Last night was the most wonderful night of my life,” Jounouchi said. 

“I know.” Yuugi lifted up his hand and cupped Jounouchi’s face, seeing nothing but love and trust in the other man’s eyes. “I really enjoyed it. It was amazing.”

“Do you think he enjoyed it too?” Jounouchi sounded insecure. “If only we could read his mind…”

“We have to wait until he gets home, so we can talk about it.” Yuugi was caught off guard and Jounouchi kissed him again, the attraction between them so strong. They exchanged comfortable, kind and sweet kisses, but suddenly Yuugi broke it up. Jounouchi looked at him a bit confusedly, and then blushed.

“I’m sorry, I was so tempted,” he apologized. “You’re right, we should wait.”

Yuugi shared Jounouchi’s insecurity. Their love for each other was evident, but they didn’t know yet what Atemu was thinking or how he was feeling about it. Yuugi couldn’t, and didn’t want to act upon it freely, not without knowing Atemu’s stance. “Let’s get dressed,” he said, “and see if there’s any breakfast left for us.”

The day went by uneventfully. Yuugi revised his studies in the morning and assisted his grandfather at the Game Shop that afternoon, whereas Jounouchi needed a little more time for his revisions. He did help out Yuugi’s mother with a few maintenance chores and soon enough, it was time for dinner. Yuugi and Sugoroku closed up shop; it had been quite busy today with customers, for which he was glad. 

“I’m hungry,” Sugoroku said. “I hope dinner’s ready!”

“I’m sure kaa-san has already started cooking,” Yuugi said. He hadn’t heard Atemu come home, but he wasn’t worried yet. It was unusual though, for Atemu not to hop into the store and greet him upon his return. He probably had gone straight to the living room. But as Yuugi got upstairs, the only one in the living room was Jounouchi, revising his notes for a final time.

“Have you seen Atemu yet?” he asked. Jounouchi shook his head.

“No, and I’ve been here for a while. I guess he can be home any moment now?”

“I guess so.” Yuugi retrieved his cell phone from his pants pocket. Maybe he had missed a message from Atemu, that he’d be home late, which wasn’t unusual when both he and Kaiba got into a duel… but _not_ sending him a message, _that_ would be unusual. Yuugi checked his phone, but he didn’t have any missed messages. He checked again. No, Atemu hadn’t contacted him today. Now he was getting worried. “I’m calling him.”

Yuugi had given Atemu a cell phone and the former Pharaoh had picked up quickly on how it worked. He had learned a lot of modern skills while he still shared Yuugi’s body and he was quick to pick up on technology. Yuugi was a bit surprised that the phone went straight to voicemail. 

“Mou hitori no boku, it’s almost dinner time,” Yuugi said. “Where are you? Could you please let us know where you are?” After leaving the message, he also composed a text message with similar words and send it to Atemu’s number. 

“Dinner’s ready!” Yuugi’s mother hollered from the kitchen. Jounouchi was quick to answer, but he halted when he saw Yuugi’s worried face.

“What’s the matter?”

“He’s not answering his phone, and he hasn’t send me a message,” Yuugi said. “I…” His phone rang. Jounouchi looked relieved.

“He’s calling back right now. He probably lost track of time,” he said.

“No, this is an unknown number.” Yuugi frowned and accepted the call. “Moshi moshi?”

“Yuugi, it’s me, Mokuba,” an enthusiastic voice greeted him.

“Mokuba-kun! What… how do you know my number?”

“Your boyfriend gave it to me,” Mokuba said. “Or rather, he gave it to my brother, and I copied it from his contact list.”

Yuugi was confused. “Huh? Why?”

“I thought it might come in handy, for whatever reason,” Mokuba answered airily. “And it seems like I had a sense of premonition, because now it’s handy.”

“What happened? Something wrong?”

“I don’t know,” he said, in a much more serious tone of voice. “I think you should come over to the manor, Yuugi. If I didn’t know any better, your Pharaoh seems to be reluctant to go home.”

“Reluctant?” Yuugi’s voice went up a couple of notches. He didn’t understand it at all.

“I’m not sure what’s going on, did you guys have a fight or something? He’s terribly distracted. He was playing against my brother, but he was so shoddy and unfocused that even a baby could win from him. Seto got angry, but he couldn’t shake him out of his funk. We don’t mind having him around, not at all, but I asked him if he wanted to stay for dinner and he looked at me like a deer caught in headlights. He keeps saying ‘I should go home’, but he doesn’t move.”

“Can you send a car over, Mokuba-kun?” Yuugi asked. He didn’t have a driver’s license and it would take too long to reach the Kaiba Manor by subway.

“Sure! No problem.”

“Thank you so much! I owe you,” Yuugi said and severed the connection. He ran downstairs to get his coat and shoes.

“Yuugi, where are you going to?” His mother called after him. “Dinner’s ready!”

“I’ll be right back!” Yuugi said. If Jounouchi called after him, he didn’t hear it. He knew that Mokuba had send the limousine before he had even asked; sure enough, not a moment after he got outside, the vehicle pulled up to the curb. Yuugi opened the door and all but flung himself inside. The driver greeted him and drove off to the Kaiba mansion.

\------------------------------------------

Mokuba was genuinely happy to see him. “Long time no see, Yuugi,” he grinned. “I’m so used to seeing your Other, that I kept calling him Yuugi too!”

“He doesn’t mind,” Yuugi said, good-naturedly.

“I know. Come in, come in! He’s in the study. He pissed off Seto greatly by playing so lousy, so badly that even an absolute beginner could win. It was really strange.”

“I’m sorry,” Yuugi said on Atemu’s behalf. He followed Mokuba trough the large hallway. The manor was overwhelming in its splendor, but he wasn’t paying any attention to it right now. His mind raced a mile a minute, going over the options of what was going on, and what could be wrong. 

“Here we are,” Mokuba announced. “If you don’t mind, I’m off to dinner. If you need anything, just give a holler, and the limousine is waiting outside to drive you home, whenever you need it.”

“Thank you so much, Mokuba-kun.” Yuugi thanked him profusely. Mokuba opened the doors and Yuugi entered the study, a magnificent library with bookcases reaching to the ceiling. It was hard to locate Atemu in this amazing, large room filled with books and antiquities, but Yuugi finally spotted him next to the window, sitting behind a mahogany desk, reading something… as far as he could read, because his eyes weren’t really focused. Yuugi closed the door behind him and not even the loud ‘click’ sound made Atemu look up. He approached the desk.

“Mou hitori no boku,” he said, his voice soft. “What’s going on?”

Atemu was startled out of his thoughts and turned his head towards him, showing him the ‘deer caught in headlights’ expression Mokuba had mentioned earlier. Yuugi had never seen him anxious like this.

“Aibou,” he said as if he was completely surprised to see him. He didn’t say anything else. Yuugi took a chair and pulled it up to the desk. He sat down and put his hand on Atemu’s knee, and to _his_ surprise, Atemu pulled away from him. It wasn’t a brusque gesture, but he moved away from him; Yuugi’s eyes widened in shock.

“Mou hitori no boku?” He didn’t mask the pain in his voice. No matter what happened, they had never shied away from touching each other. “Please tell me what’s going on?”

“I… it was wrong,” Atemu said, refusing to meet Yuugi’s gaze. He was worked up, constantly wringing his hands. “I should not have… done what I have done.”

“Tell me,” Yuugi said, still confused. “Please.”

Atemu remained silent. Yuugi considered putting his hand on his shoulder, but after being rebuked earlier, he was hesitant to touch him again. He had a faint notion of what Atemu might be referring to, and knots tied in his stomach. The silence seemed to go on forever.

“Mou hitori no boku… is it about last night?” he asked. When the other nodded, Yuugi felt his heart plummet. 

“I keep asking myself why I allowed it to happen,” Atemu said. He sounded like he was in tremendous pain. “I… I was not in the right mind to make that decision.”

“But you enjoyed it,” Yuugi said.

“I did,” Atemu admitted and wrung his hands again. “That is why it is so difficult, aibou. I... cannot understand why I enjoyed it, yet it feels so wrong. There is only one person I want to be with, and that is you. Not Jounouchi-kun. For all that I love him as a friend, I do not want him as a lover. I cannot accept him into our relationship.”

Yuugi bit his lower lip. “I’m not sure what to say,” he said. “I know that I’m selfish, mou hitori no boku. My love for you is as much and as strong as always. I love Jounouchi-kun too, he’s part of my life, he’s part of my mind… I knew it for a long time, but I didn’t want to give in, because I kept asking myself how someone could love two people at the same time. I thought there was something wrong with me. Like I said before, when Jounouchi-kun confessed to me his feelings, that he was reciprocating… it was like coming home, like everything fitting together, like… every piece of the puzzle coming together, excuse the bad pun.”

Atemu remained silent, so he continued: “Please understand that it has nothing to do with you being ‘not enough’, mou hitori no boku. It has nothing to do with your love being insufficient or anything like that, not at all. We both love you. We both want you, we both need you.”

“I cannot,” Atemu repeated. “You always talk about comfort, aibou. I do not feel comfort with the three of us. I do not want to find another man in bed or at the breakfast table but you.”

Yuugi could feel the lump in his stomach harden. “Please don’t force me to make a choice between you and Jounouchi-kun,” he said.

“Please do not force me to accept Jounouchi-kun into our relationship, something I am not comfortable with,” Atemu retorted.

Yuugi was getting upset. All his dreams fell apart and the perfect utopia he had created in his mind was never going to happen. It made him angry and sad. “You don’t even want to give it a try,” he said curtly. “It was good enough for you to enjoy the physical circumstances, but as soon as emotions are getting involved, you throw everything out of the window!”

“That is a low blow and you know it,” Atemu said. “I admit it, I should not have participated. I regret it, I made a mistake. Do not hang up my refusal to something that happened only once. I am not comfortable with a third person in our relationship. It does not matter if it is Jounouchi-kun or not. My relationship is with you, and you only.”

“We have so much love to share,” Yuugi insisted. “Why do you keep refusing it? We both love you, you are the center of our world. If you’re afraid of being the third wheel, you’re not, do you hear me? If anything, you’re the very core of our relationship.”

“No, aibou,” Atemu said. His anxiety shifted into stubbornness with an undertone of anger, mimicking Yuugi’s. “Why do you keep pushing this onto me?”

“Why don’t you want to see how much we love and care for you? You’ve always given me so much, mou hitori no boku. We only want to show you love. Was last night only for you to take and to not give something in return?”

“Stop rubbing that into my face,” Atemu said. “It was a mistake.”

“You’re calling our love for you a _mistake_?”

“I cannot control your emotions or feelings,” Atemu said. “Neither can you control mine. I am not blaming or faulting you, aibou. Would you have wished to force any consent out of me, and would you have blamed me if I still refused to participate? Would you fault me for me withdrawing and not feeling happy with the situation?”

“No, not at all,” Yuugi said, but he wasn’t so sure. This was getting out of hand. They had increasingly raised their voices and it was a good thing they weren’t at home, where everybody could overhear them. “I want the best for both of us, all of us!”

“Then do not coerce me into something that goes against my every wish or desire.”

“Maybe your wish is something that _I_ don’t wish for,” Yuugi said, and he was shocked by his own vehemence. “How can you rebuke something so beautiful? We never forced your consent out of you; we asked it, and you gave it to us.”

“I know. It is not about physical affection only, aibou. No other person will ever come close to you. There is no one, not even Jounouchi-kun, who can stand next to you and be my second partner or lover.”

“We would be equal in the relationship, all three of us,” Yuugi whispered.

“Truly?” Atemu looked sad. He shook his head. “I do not believe it.”

“Then give us a chance,” Yuugi pleaded. “Don’t bail out now. You gave us so much hope yesterday…”

“I allowed myself to be seduced,” Atemu said. “I was tired, exhausted. When you gave me those towels and helped me to dry myself off… that attention, that love was like how it used to be, before you told me about that kiss. It was you, aibou, who approached me and kissed me, not aibou-with-Jounouchi-kun. When he joined us later and massaged me, I was not thinking of any further involvement. I was enjoying it yes, all that attention after a tense, stressful time.”

Yuugi tried to analyze what was going through his own mind. Disappointment, anger, sadness, irritation… he couldn’t understand it. Perhaps he’d been pushing too hard after all, but the intense memory of Atemu, his very own Pharaoh, leaning against him and moaning, his eyes closed in utmost pleasure… how could he reject it like this, and say he regretted it? 

“We seduced you..?” he parroted. “Are you seriously claiming that we did it all on purpose, to trick you?”

“I am not saying or claiming that at all, aibou. I am taking the blame, for I am the only one to blame. I gave you false hope.”

“You certainly did. It’s not fair, mou hitori no boku.”

Atemu narrowed his eyes. “Where is the fairness in you pushing this onto me?”

“You talk about it as if I’m not giving you any choice in the matter!”

“Are you?”

“What?” Yuugi was flabbergasted.

“Are you giving me any choice in the matter? I do not remember you having spoken to me about all your wonderful feelings for Jounouchi-kun ever before, until you overwhelmed me with your confession about kissing him! Where is my choice, aibou? You immediately launched into your wish for a relationship with him and me, without asking my opinion!”

“I should’ve gone about it differently, yes,” Yuugi admitted. “For which I have apologized.”

“I should have gone about it differently yesterday as well,” Atemu said. “For which I have apologized, too.”

“We just can’t go back to how it used to be,” Yuugi said. The thought of losing Jounouchi as a partner was a horrible one. “Too much has changed now.”

“I have made my choice very clear,” Atemu said. Yuugi looked up at him, and swallowed. There was no room for any other interpretation of Atemu’s face. He was every inch a Pharaoh, determined and unwavering. It was of no use to bargain or to negotiate right now.

“I haven’t made a choice yet,” Yuugi answered. He just couldn’t. It was too much to ask.

“Until you make a choice,” Atemu took a deep breath and dropped a moment of silence, as if inviting Yuugi to interject, “I will stay at the Kaiba Manor as a guest.”

Yuugi had no other way to describe it, but the lights went out in his mind. A cold, harsh calmness washed over him as he got up from his chair. Unemotionally, he put the piece of furniture back where he had found it and turned around to face Atemu once more.

“Stay here, then,” he said, voice uncharacteristically low. “Maybe I’ll even give you a call.”

Without another word, he left the library and the Kaiba Manor. During the ride back home, he was completely silent. The driver didn’t try to strike up a conversation with him; Yuugi’s facial expression was dark enough to chase anyone away.

\--------------------------------------


	8. Chapter 8

“Yuugi-kun, what’s going on? Why…” his mother’s voice trailed off when Yuugi passed by the kitchen, his face looking like a thundercloud. He ignored his mother rudely and instead took the stairs up to his bedroom in the attic. He all but flopped on the bed and tried to get his breathing under control. He was _so_ angry! He balled his hand into a fist and punched his pillow. What a mess! How could Atemu reject this? How could he be so blind to the happiness right in front of his eyes? He punched the pillow again. Ironically enough, he longed for Atemu’s arms around him; the warm, reassuring presence of his Pharaoh next to him, the calmness and comfort he radiated. More so, Yuugi wanted to feel his lips against his skin, breathing soft words, making him feel loved and wanted.

“Asshole,” Yuugi mumbled, but he wasn’t sure if he was talking about himself or Atemu. He was grateful for being left alone at the moment; he didn’t feel like sitting at the kitchen table and pretending to have a nice dinner. His stomach was too cramped up to deal with food anyway. He heaved a sigh. Maybe a few days apart would help to take a breather from the rollercoaster of emotions. He didn’t like the thought of it. His heart felt empty, his soul felt… lifeless. Atemu was the other half of his soul, he simply couldn’t live without him. What was going to happen? His relationship had been so good, nothing but perfect. Had he ruined everything with his own hands? Talking about hands… someone had put his hand on top of his and for the briefest of moments, Yuugi thought it was Atemu… but the skin tone was pale and the fingers didn’t wear any rings. He gasped, startled. 

“I’m sorry, but I called your name a couple of times,” Jounouchi apologized. “You were completely zoned out. What happened..?” From the look on his face, he had already guessed what had happened. Yuugi explained it to him briefly and Jounouchi heaved a similar sigh.

“That was what I was so afraid of,” he said. “I’m so sorry, Yuugi. I...”

“Don’t even _think_ of taking all the blame on you,” Yuugi growled. “We’re adults. We can work this out.”

“We can’t, Yuugi. I know it ruins your picture perfect, but I think it’s time to step back. I hate to see you fight with Atemu. You two belong together more than life itself, than just simple ol’ me thrown into the mix. You’re the two halves…”

“I’m getting sick and tired of the ‘two halves of the same soul’ bullshit,” Yuugi said crudely, even though he had thought it himself earlier.

“You don’t mean that and you know it,” Jounouchi said sternly. “Atemu has every right to say no, Yuugi. How would you feel like when… oh, let’s just say it out loud… the situation was reversed and he came home with Kaiba, telling you to either accept it or to butt out?”

“That’s not how I told him,” Yuugi said defensively. “ _He_ ’s forcing me to make a choice, not the other way around!”

“I don’t think it’s wise to play any blame game or to point accusing fingers at anyone,” Jounouchi said. “As it is, you and Atemu are fighting and I’m the third, invasive party. It doesn’t call for a master strategist to see who should be retreating.”

“Jounouchi-kun, please don’t go,” Yuugi said, grabbing his hands. 

“It could’ve been a dream, but instead it turned into a nightmare,” Jounouchi said, downtrodden. “You’re fighting with the other half of your soul. I lost the friendship of someone I love and respect very much, as I’m sure Atemu doesn’t want to see me again, ever.”

“It just can’t end like this,” Yuugi said, voice hitching. “We should be together, all three of us, instead of fighting. After that night…”

“I’ll always remember that night,” Jounouchi said. “It may not have been worth it, as it escalated everything, but still… to see him like that, to touch him like that… it was the most wonderful night of my life. But the price has been too high, Yuugi.”

“I’m so mad at him,” Yuugi said. “He… he all but claimed that we seduced him, that it was our fault!”

“I don’t think Atemu blames anyone of us specifically.” Jounouchi didn’t look at Yuugi. “He’s upset. You’re upset. I’m upset too, but let’s try to keep our heads clear, alright? We don’t want to make it any worse than it already is.”

“So _I_ ’m the only immature person around here.” Yuugi winced at the petulant sound of his voice. He wanted to cry. 

“You’re not. Like I said, you’re upset. It’s not about being right or wrong, immature or mature. Emotions are involved, and those are very personal.”

“I just can’t believe he won’t give us a chance.”

“What would you like him to do, Yuugi? Accept it all even though he really doesn’t want to? What good would that bring to your relationship, our relationship? You can’t force people.”

“I know.” It was impossible to keep the tears at bay. “I’m so incredibly selfish..!”

Jounouchi hugged him. “I wanted this to work out so bad, believe me… but now it’s for the better if we calm down and give ourselves some space and time to think. I’m the one who should be leaving.”

“N-no,” Yuugi sobbed between tears. 

He hugged him closer. “I’ll find a place on my own. I don’t want to overstay my welcome, and I have the feeling I already have. You belong with Atemu, first and foremost. Where I fit in this picture, only time and the future will tell. That’s it, Yuugi. That’s what it is right now.”

Yuugi had no words left. He wanted to return the hug and kiss Jounouchi, he wanted to scream at him to not leave… but he only reveled in the hug and hated himself for being such a passive, weak person. Jounouchi kissed him on his brow, a feather-light brush of his lips against his skin. 

“I’ll start my search for an apartment tomorrow,” he said. “No matter what happens, I’ll always love you.”

“I always love you too,” Yuugi whispered in return and held back another wave of tears as Jounouchi got up and left the bedroom. He had wanted to ask him to stay, but it didn’t feel right.

\--------------------------------------

The room was decorated with priceless, original paintings from the 17th and 18th century, with exclusive furniture to match. It wasn’t Jounouchi’s taste, he thought it was pompous, tacky; he doubted Kaiba had chosen this interior decoration himself, though. He probably never had seen this room from the inside as it was just a space for guests to be parked until it pleased Kaiba to receive them. It wasn’t Kaiba who he was looking for today, of course. Jounouchi could hear a female voice ringing out: “Your visitor waits here, Mutou-sama.”

Mutou- _sama_ , of course. Without a doubt, Atemu would feel right at home with servants trailing behind him. To Jounouchi, it had the opposite effect; it made him feel uncomfortable and weird. The door went open and Atemu entered, his eyes immediately focusing on Jounouchi.

“Good afternoon, Atemu,” Jounouchi greeted him.

“Good afternoon, Jounouchi-kun,” he said in return. 

The maid stood to his right, awaiting orders. “Tea for the both of us,” Atemu instructed her, with half an eye on Jounouchi. He didn’t protest. Tea was a good choice.

“You look well,” Jounouchi said after the maid had left. Atemu’s cheeks colored slightly, as if he was embarrassed by the compliment. As he hadn’t been home for at least three days, Kaiba had bought new clothes for him (or somehow made sure he got a new outfit), and not something out of a common department store. No, this was completely tailored to his size and statue, and it fit him tremendously well. All high-end brands and hand-made, this was something that Jounouchi could never afford to give him. It wasn’t a display of wealth to intimidate or to anger him, this was simply a lifestyle that stressed the differences between them. A Pharaoh and a pauper. He wasn’t the third piece to Atemu’s soul. Perhaps love wasn’t going to conquer all, no matter how much he wished for it. 

“Thank you for visiting me,” Atemu said and made an inviting gesture to sit down. Jounouchi obeyed and picked a chair randomly. “How is everything at home?”

“Everyone misses you,” Jounouchi blurted out. That certainly wasn’t beside the truth. “Everyone wants you to come home, preferably right now.”

Atemu lowered his eyes, mulling over his words when the maid came back and served tea. When she was gone again, Jounouchi picked up his cup to keep his hands busy. Atemu reached for his cup as well, but decided against it at the last moment and laced his fingers together in an almost Kaiba-esque fashion.

“I would like to come home,” he said.

“I’ve found an apartment in the Yanamuchi district,” Jounouchi said. He cherished hope briefly that Atemu would protest and tell him not to leave, but no such words came over the former Pharaoh’s lips. “I’ll be moving out tomorrow morning. I’m very sorry about what happened. I want you to know that I still regard you as my friend, no matter what you might think of me now. There’s something you must realize, though.” 

Jounouchi heard his own tone of voice and it sounded a little menacing to him. Sure enough, Atemu frowned and narrowed his eyes. But this was something important, and he had to say it.

“I’m still going to see Yuugi at university. We’re taking a lot of classes together. We’ll be doing projects together and we’ll graduate together. That’s something that won’t change; we’ve been a part of each other’s lives for so long. I don’t want to give that up. Please, let me finish. What I’m trying to say is, that I’ll be still in contact with Yuugi: as a fellow student, as a friend. Not as a lover. We’re not having sex behind your back. We’re not planning to continue a relationship in secret. We haven’t been intimate. We don’t keep anything hidden. I need you to trust us on that.”

Atemu finally reached for his tea cup and held it between his long, slender fingers, sloshing the liquid. Neither one was drinking the exquisite blend. “I have never forbidden you or Yuugi to see each other,” he said, but his words came out strained.

“Yes, that’s true, you never have. We’re both very grateful for that. It’s just something that I wanted you to know. We need to have your trust.”

“You have it,” Atemu said, but not after an ominous moment of silence. His voice was unwavering.

“Please come home,” Jounouchi pleaded. “Right now. Tonight there’s a special dinner, Yuugi’s mother insisted on it. I want to say goodbye to you in a festive manner, not with all this resentment and anger.”

“I do not resent you, Jounouchi-kun.” Atemu’s eyes rested upon him, examining.

“I’m glad to hear that. No, don’t deny it, you’re not appreciative of me right now. I understand - I don’t care if you blame me. I just want you to be with Yuugi again and reinforce your relationship with him. You can stop thinking about me, even if I’m still in Yuugi’s life. I’ll stay in the background. You have my personal word that nothing will happen between me and Yuugi. It means the world to me if you’d be at dinner with us tonight.”

Atemu sipped his tea, which had to be lukewarm by now. Jounouchi waited in suspense; a wave of relief went through him when Atemu nodded. “I will let Kaiba know about my departure. I will be at home before dinnertime.”

That was all that Jounouchi was asking for. He put the teacup down, not having tasted the brew. He got up from his chair as he had nothing else to add, lest he was afraid to ruin things even more. “Give Kaiba my regards,” he said stiffly, “as he didn’t have his personnel throw me out when I rang at the door.”

“Kaiba does respect you,” Atemu said, rising as well, “in his own way. I respect you too, Jounouchi-kun.”

_But you don’t see me as a life partner_. It hung unspoken in the air. Jounouchi nodded, not knowing what else to do. “I’ll see you at dinnertime.” 

Atemu didn’t confirm again, but Jounouchi was confident that he was going to show up. He hesitated between telling Yuugi right now or to keep it as a surprise. More importantly, Atemu had said that he had his trust, so he trusted him to come home this evening.

\--------------------------------

The last few days had been the unhappiest of Mutou Yuugi’s life. He paced back and forth in his bedroom, having been send upstairs like a small child. His grandfather had told him to get out of the Game Shop as he chased away customers with his sour and negative attitude. His mother didn’t want to have his moping face around in the kitchen either and flat-out send him to his room. It was for the better; he didn’t feel like interacting with anyone anyway. The news that Jounouchi had found an apartment had hit him hard. Secretly, he had hoped that Jounouchi couldn’t find one so he’d have to stay with the Mutou family; he also knew that it was his selfishness talking.

He was rather surprised by that latest discovery about himself; since when had he become so focused on his own wants and needs, prioritizing that above everyone else’s? Why was he acting like this? And why… most of all… why had he become mad at the man he loved with more than his heart and soul, and tried to enforce him into a relationship that he obviously didn’t want? Jounouchi was right, of course. If Atemu came home with Kaiba and told Yuugi to take it or leave it, he would’ve been deeply hurt and upset as well. Despite seeing Kaiba as a friend, Yuugi wouldn’t want him as a part of their relationship and certainly not as a lover. Atemu viewed Jounouchi as a good friend, but not as a lover. He had said it out loud, but Yuugi had refused to listen; he had only wanted to hear a “yes, aibou, of course I welcome Jounouchi-kun in our relationship” and everything would be peace and paradise from there. 

He truly was the immature one here. Yuugi sat down on his bed again. What was he supposed to do now? Jounouchi would leave soon; the Yanamuchi district wasn’t that bad, but the rent was easier affordable because the district was so far removed from the center of the city. Still, it was a place of his own and Jounouchi had been right about this as well; it was better to take a little distance. It wasn’t going to solve things, of course… Yuugi supported his head with his hands. What a mess, and he was the one responsible for it. His mother’s reached him from down below, it wasn’t like her to talk this loudly, this excited. “Yes, he’s upstairs!” Yuugi shot up straight. Could it be..? His heart beat faster as he heard footsteps on the stairs. A gentle, even stride. Holding his breath, Yuugi stared at the door. A knock, and Atemu pushed the door open.

“Mou hitori no boku!” Yuugi took a sprint and flung himself into the other’s arms, his movement so brusque that he slammed the both of them against the door. He pressed kisses all over his face. “I missed you so much!”

Atemu didn’t protest. “I missed you too,” he said, or that was all he could say between the thunderstorm of kisses. Yuugi stroked his hair, touched his cheeks and neck.

“Are you all right? Have you eaten well? Slept well?”

“All my needs were taken care of at the Kaiba Mansion,” Atemu said and returned the touches, fingers brushing Yuugi’s cheek. “But no one could take care of me like you would. I missed you so much. Your eyes, your smile... nothing or no one could ever replace that.”

Yuugi tilted his head and pursed his lips for a kiss, happy when he was rewarded with one. He was ‘aibou’ again, not ‘Yuugi’, which sounded so horribly wrong out of Atemu’s mouth. He slipped his arms around him, fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt. He pulled the expensive garment out of the waistband of Atemu’s pants and crinkled the fabric, eager to touch the warm, tan skin underneath. He wanted to say a lot, from ‘never leave me’ to ‘I can’t live without you’, but the words stuck in his throat as he was too busy kissing and being kissed. Atemu wrapped his arms around him, one hand sinking immediately into his hair and Yuugi all but climbed him like a tree. 

They were a couple of steps removed from the bed and Yuugi had worked Atemu out of his shirt even before he was unceremoniously dumped on the mattress. He didn’t know how fast to take his own shirt off and when his fingers started on his belt buckle, Atemu stopped him by putting his hand over his. Yuugi looked up at him, insecure; didn’t Atemu wanted to proceed? But then he saw the smoldering, lustful look in the other’s eyes and he withdrew his hand, so Atemu could unbuckle the belt. His fingers right there, stroking and dipping lower, touching him teasingly - it was almost too much to bear. Yuugi’s body was already overloading from the sensations and when Atemu agonizingly slow pulled his pants down after undoing the buckle, he was nearly begging him. 

“Just skip it, mou hitori no boku!” he cried out and kicked with his legs to get the offensive garment out of the way. Nothing mattered but Atemu on top of him, his warm body against his, his breath washing all over him, his voice drifting towards him, words barely reaching his ears and he could’ve recited the phone book for all that Yuugi cared. He arched his back and welcomed the intrusion. No, it wasn’t an intrusion, it was a reconnection. Passionate, aggressive, overwhelming and he couldn’t stop the rapid explosion of sensations, even if he wanted to. Yuugi clung to Atemu, his breathing out of control, his entire body out of control. He tugged at him, pulled at him to get even closer and when he was rolled onto his stomach, Yuugi tore at the sheets and muffled his cries, smothered them in the pillows. 

His body decided for him, unable to withstand the onslaught and Yuugi bucked his hips, pushing back at Atemu and he gasped loudly, pressing his head into the pillows once again to suppress a loud cry as he came hard. It had been only a couple of minutes, he had lasted so short, the horniness ravaging and rampaging his body. He sagged on top of the bedcovers.

“Don’t stop, please don’t stop,” he muttered in-between heavy gasps. Atemu pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. Yuugi shivered from the sheer intensity. Usually he didn’t like to be on his stomach, he preferred to look his lover right in the eyes and kiss him, touch him… but right now he would do anything to feel Atemu inside him, no matter what or how. His body braced itself again and he moaned and grunted, his eyes closed as he let it all wash over him, reacting purely to physical instincts, and he smiled and gasped simultaneously, reveling in the attention and sensations.

\---------------------------------------

It was an hour before dinnertime. Yuugi watched the numbers on his digital alarm clock change; another minute had gone by. His hand was on Atemu’s, who had draped his arm over his chest like he always did when spooning behind him. It was so comforting yet heartbreaking at the same time. Yuugi was happy to hear Atemu snoring softly, but their lovemaking had provoked all kinds of questions in his mind. He hadn’t thought for a second about Jounouchi. He had been so engrossed with Atemu that he had completely forgotten about the other man he loved. What was happening to him? What did this say about him, acting this way? Was he worth of Jounouchi’s love, if it was so easy to forget about him? He didn’t know what to do anymore. Yuugi tilted his head back as he heard a shift in Atemu’s breathing.

“Are you awake, mou hitori no boku?” he asked, using a very soft tone of voice. “We should get ready for dinner.”

His answer was a non-committal sound and another kiss between his shoulder blades. Its effect couldn’t be denied; Yuugi had to restrain himself from turning around and overwhelm Atemu with more kisses. 

“You want to take a shower first?”

The same, non-committal sound answered him and Yuugi had to smile nonetheless. “You go first,” he decided, “I’ll clean up around here.”

“Alright,” Atemu mumbled and withdrew his arm, yawning and stretching. “What time is it?”

Yuugi told him. “Kaa-san has prepared an extra nice dinner for tonight. We shouldn’t be late.”  
“Yes, you are right. We better get going.” 

Yuugi rolled off the bed and waited for Atemu to leave for the bathroom. He took care of the mess they had made: clothes strewn all over the floor, the bed sheets in disarray… he wondered if they had been overheard. He was still busy making up the bed when a warm hand touched his shoulder and long, slender fingers trickled down his spine. Yuugi turned around and greeted Atemu enthusiastically with a kiss. He looked so sexy with nothing but a towel clinging to his hips and again, Yuugi had to forcefully restrain himself to not take the piece of fabric away. Atemu knew it, the look in his eyes spoke volumes. Something else hung in the air, too - invisible, intangible, but Yuugi could feel it. The touching was affectionate, kind and gentle, yet held a certain amount of… possessiveness in it. Atemu had never said out loud that Yuugi was ‘his’, their relationship was based on mutual equality, but now it seemed the balance had shifted. The trace of superiority in Atemu’s eyes made Yuugi feel uncomfortable. This wasn’t what he had hoped to reach. His breathing hitched a little when Atemu leaned into him and kissed him slowly on the lips.

“I am done with the shower,” he said, nipping at Yuugi’s bottom lip. “You should get clean too, aibou.”

“Y-yes, mou hitori no boku,” Yuugi said. He didn’t leave until Atemu had let go of him - he had put his hands on Yuugi’s hips while kissing him. As soon as his fingers slid off of his skin, Yuugi grabbed himself a towel and bolted for the bathroom. His mind was about to blow up. Could it be true that since he had returned home and Jounouchi was leaving, Atemu saw himself as the ‘victor’ of the situation? Did he want to show it off while using these intricate, delicate movements: just a touch here or there, showing that Yuugi was _his_ after all? Yuugi swallowed heavily. Atemu wasn’t petty, was he? He could be quite stubborn and yes, he was known to hold a grudge… but petty, no, he wasn’t like that. Yuugi decided that he was simply reading too much into things. It just couldn’t be like this. However, it made him look even less forward to dinner, as it meant it was the last meal he shared with Jounouchi under this roof.

\---------------------------------

“I’ve taken some pictures for you to see.” Jounouchi handed his smartphone to Yuugi’s grandfather. It was an outdated model, but it worked just fine and the camera took great pictures. “My very own broom closet! How do you like it?”

“It’s… very small indeed, Jounouchi,” Sugoroku said, squinting his eyes at the picture. 

“Two hundred and five square meters, all to myself,” Jounouchi said and grinned. “A one room studio, Internet included, and it has its own kitchen! Look, it even comes fully furnished.”

“A bed, a table and two chairs isn’t what I call ‘fully furnished’, Jounouchi-kun.” Yuugi’s mother sounded a little sad. “There’s no personal touch to it!”

“The kitchen has every appliance I need and I have storage room over my bed for my clothes and college stuff.” Jounouchi shrugged. “It’s well-maintained and clean, that’s all I ask for. Besides, I won’t be there much. With the handy and cheap meal plan at college, I’ll only be at my apartment to sleep.”

He didn’t have many belongings to begin with. Jounouchi had left the apartment building where he used to live with his father with one bag of clothes, study materials and some personal items, nothing more. 

“Well, I’m going to get you a colorful rug and plants, and oh, a nice poster to put on your wall,” Yuugi’s mother said, determined. Atemu studied the pictures and the expression on his face was painfully neutral. He was seated next to Yuugi, opposite of Yuugi’s mother, while Sugoroku sat on the other side of his grandson, opposite of Jounouchi. The table was laden with dishes: _takoyaki_ , curry rice with _tonkatsu_ , _karaage_ and _kasutera_ cake for dessert. Much to Yuugi’s relief, the atmosphere had been quite amicable. Neither his mother nor Sugoroku had inquired about the details of Atemu’s days-long absence and they probably didn’t connect his return to Jounouchi leaving, but it was obvious that they were very happy to see him again and have him back in the household. 

Atemu’s other hand rested against Yuugi’s, a gesture that didn’t escape Jounouchi’s attention. Yuugi himself barely dared to exchange looks with his best friend. He was sure that Jounouchi knew what had happened in the bedroom just before dinner and a wild, dark thought came up in his mind: perhaps Atemu had done so on purpose, in another way to lay claim on him. No! He wasn’t going to get paranoid, was he? 

“Yuugi-kun, would you like some more _karaage_?” His mother didn’t await his answer but gave him another helping, while he hadn’t finished his previous one. “You too, Atemu-kun? You must eat well.”

Atemu pushed his bowl towards her and she heaped up the food. He handed the phone back to Jounouchi. “It looks well maintained indeed,” he said. “I am sure you will make the place your own, Jounouchi-kun.”

“Thank you,” Jounouchi said and pocketed his phone. Yuugi gauged his reaction. Were they both analyzing Atemu’s words and intonation? On the outside, the former Pharaoh enjoyed dinner and talked to everyone at the table. Yuugi didn’t know what was going on the inside, and it worried him. He never had any trouble reading Atemu before. _You’re over thinking things too much_ , he told himself. The dinner came to an end and it was time to say goodbye. Jounouchi wanted to avoid any awkward situation and said: “Honda has invited me to stay over for the night. I haven’t seen him in a while, so I’m going to take him up on his offer.” 

Yuugi could hear the pain behind his words. Yuugi’s mother had enjoyed Jounouchi’s presence and out of the blue hugged him, telling him that she would soon visit his new address to bring the rug, plants and poster. Sugoroku told him that he could always stop by and have dinner with the family. Atemu repeated Sugoroku’s words, adding that Jounouchi was always welcome, but there was not much warmth in his voice. Neutral, distant. Jounouchi thanked him for his hospitality and walked down the stairs with Yuugi, who was going to show him out.

“Thank you,” Jounouchi said. “For everything.” 

“You’re very welcome, Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi said. “Thank you, too.”

“Well, I guess we won’t be seeing each other for a while,” Jounouchi said, a little too lightly. “What are you going to do for your summer vacation?”

“I’ll be working at the Game Shop, mostly,” Yuugi said. “I also want to prepare for the third year, which is going to be even more grueling than last year. What about you?”

“I hope to find a summer job,” Jounouchi said. “It shouldn’t be a problem. They’re always asking for assembly line workers or construction workers. It’s all good, and I can build up some savings.”

Yuugi grabbed him at the arm. “Are you going to make it? Financially?”

“It’s going to be tight,” Jounouchi admitted. “I’m used to live as cheap as possible. I don’t want any of your money, Yuugi.”

“I…”

“I want _you_ ,” Jounouchi whispered. “To be my partner, my lover, my everything. And no matter what, I still want Atemu too. Even if he does an impressive imitation of a refrigerator.”

“I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s okay.” Jounouchi ruffled his hair. “We…”

“Aibou,” Atemu’s voice came from upstairs, “would you come help us with the dishes?”

“Just a minute!” Yuugi hollered back. His cheeks colored.

Jounouchi withdrew his hand. “Your Pharaoh calls for you,” he said. “It’s best to not keep him waiting.”

“It’s not about those stupid dishes,” Yuugi said, almost desperate. “Jounouchi-kun, I…”

“I know. It’s okay,” he repeated. “I’m going now, but I’ll see you again at the start of the next academic year. I’m going to miss you, but who knows… maybe this break will do us good.”

“It’s not fair!” Yuugi whispered.

“I love you,” was all that Jounouchi said before hopping out of the door. Yuugi stared after him until he disappeared out of sight; only then he realized the tears streaming silently down his face.

\--------------------------------------


End file.
